Frozen III: The Coming Storm
by InfiniteAssassin
Summary: Sequel to Frozen II: Phoenix Fire. Arendelle is on the brink of war with the Southern Isles, and no one, not even Queen Elsa, is safe. Now, it's a race against time to keep the peace. Anna, making an unlikely alliance, once again embarks on an epic journey to save Arendelle from the threat on their doorstep. Can the storm of war be prevented, or will death shadow over the land?
1. The Trial

For those of you new readers who don't feel like reading Frozen II: Phoenix Fire, I have summarized that fanfiction here. Skip the summary if you like:

The story begins with a boy named Kai, who has fire powers, and his best friend, Deren. Kai accidentally hits Deren's face with his powers at the same time Elsa struck Anna's head. Kai is banished from his town and soon finds himself in the capitol of his country, Teranhall. He meets the monarch of Teranhall, King Lyre, who also happens to be the leader of the Bandit Organization which is a group of people who steal and harm others. Lyre recruits Kai as the newest member of the Bandits.

Years pass and Kai trains to become one of the strongest members of the Bandit's, along with Strife, a mysterious masked man. Then, one year after Arendelle's Great Thaw, Lyre shows Kai the Conduit, an ancient relic that can absorb and transfer energy, such as superpowers. Lyre tells Kai that he plans to use the Conduit to steal Queen Elsa's powers and use it to create an eternal winter on Teranhall, as punishment for the citizens. Kai, who does not want any part of this, goes rogue and travels to Arendelle to warn and protect Elsa.

In Arendelle, Anna and Kristoff are about to be married, and Elsa has a romantic interest in her Captain of the Guard, Travis Summers. The wedding is interrupted by Kai who was being chased around in the city. The wedding is cancelled, but the party afterword is not. Kai and Elsa share a talk right before Elsa leaves for the party. Unfortunately, Bandit's crash the party and kidnap Anna. Kai reveals the plan of the Bandits to Elsa and Travis, hiding the fact that he used to be a Bandit. Elsa, Travis, and some guards get on a ship, planning to take it to Teranhall, and Kai and Olaf stowaway on the ship.

Kai and Olaf reveal their presence on the ship. Kai notices something fishy about the journey, and Travis reveals himself to be a Bandit, along with the rest of the guards. Elsa and Kai escape from the ship along with Olaf, which was sinking and burning, using a rowboat after Kai defeats the Bandits. They soon reach the shores of an unknown island, and escape an erupting volcano.

Kai has an encounter with Strife who agrees to leave them alone. The three find themselves in a town where they encountered the, now fired, Duke of Weseltown. He gives them a ship which they use to go to Teranhall. On the ship, Kai and Elsa fall in love and share a kiss. When they reach Teranhall, they travel to Kai's old town which they find destroyed. An angered Kai unintentionally creates a fiery tornado around him and Elsa is forced to freeze his heart to stop him.

Strife and a group of Bandits intervene and take Elsa prisoner and knocks out Kai. Stife reveals to Elsa Kai's past as a Bandit. Then, they tie him up to his ship and let it set sail along with Olaf. When traveling to the Bandit base, Elsa freezes Strife's heart. Kai and Olaf find themselves back in Arendelle where they reunite with Kristoff. The three then use a flying machine to get to Teranhall. But, when they reach it, they find that Lyre has already created an eternal winter and take Elsa's powers away from her.

The three crash land and head to Teranhall Castle to stop the winter. On the way, the encounter Strife, who is just as weakened as Kai. Kai faces of Strife as Kristoff and Olaf run to the castle. Kai chases Strife to the castle, where Strife reveals himself to be Deren, now horribly scarred. The two fight, but are soon turned into solid ice on the roof of the castle.

Anna is able to convince Lyre to return Elsa her powers to which he does. Elsa stops the eternal winter, but finds the frozen bodies of Kai and Deren. Lyre, now good, uses the Conduit to heal Kai though it breaks in the process. Kai then uses his own fire powers to heal Deren, but Kai tells Deren to leave him and his friends alone. Kai and Elsa continue their relationship together, despite his past.

Lyre becomes a good King, and Elsa, Kristoff, Anna, Olaf, and Kai return to Arendelle where Kristoff and Anna are married by trolls. Kai decides he will leave, but Elsa convinces him to stay with her. Kai becomes Elsa's new Captain of the Guard, and Hans promises revenge on the girls.

Author's Note: The awaited sequel to **Frozen II: Phoenix Fire **is here! Now, enjoy chapter 1 of **Frozen III: The Coming Storm**.

* * *

**Chapter I: The Trial**

* * *

One month after "Frozen"...

King Westerguard of the Southern Isles sat on his grand throne. The throne room was ginormous. The throne sat on an elevated area on the floor, and there was a long red carpet that led from the throne to a giant set of doors that led outside. Guards lined the walls with spears in hand. Smaller doors were scattered around the throne room that led to other parts of the castle.

Two of the King's sons stood at his side. On his left was Ander (pronounced Ahnder), the eldest of the King's children. Ander was the King's favorite child. Ander showed all the qualities of a great man. Because of that, the King put him in charge of the Southern Isles' military. On the King's right was Christian, the second eldest. Christian was the smartest out of the King's children. Because of his wisdom and knowledge, the King named him the royal scholar, and named him the royal advisor. The King trusted Christian to make the right decisions, and so did the rest of their kin. The other brothers were in the castle, doing their own business.

The King was old, but well. The King had grey hair, and blue eyes. Ander was a tall, stocky man, with dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He has a scar on his cheek, coming from a certain battle a long time ago. Christian was significantly shorter than his older brother, but not that short. Christian was slimmer, and more slender. Christian has black hair, and brown eyes.

Outside was the rest of the Southern Isles. The castle stood on a hill that overlooked the entire city. The city was on the edge of land, and on the shores of a great ocean. The Southern Isles was a neighboring kingdom to many such as Arendelle, Teranhall, and Weseltown. The city was a large, spectacular sight, although the houses don't necessarily reflect the city. The moon was out, so not many people were out on the streets. It was a quite day in the Southern Isles. That's because it was a serious day.

Someone had returned to the city. Someone who had brought great shame to the Southern Isles. Someone who had brought great shame to the Westerguard family. The French had just dropped Prince Hans off from Arendelle just a few days ago. The King was not happy at all when he heard of the trouble Hans created. Hans plotted to become King of Arendelle by marrying Princess Anna, and killing the Crowned Queen, Elsa. His plan was foiled, so now he must face the consequences. The King regretted choosing Hans as the Southern Isles' representative during Elsa's coronation.

The time of Han's trial was close.

Ander stood at his father's side, wondering how his father will deal with Hans. Personally, Ander was disappointed in Hans. He couldn't believe how far one in his own family would go for power. Was Hans not happy with what he had? To Ander, it would appear so. But, Ander could understand why Hans would do such a thing. His entire life, Hans has been overshadowed by his brothers, especially Ander. Ander felt bad for Hans, he truly did. But, that doesn't make it okay for attempted murder. Ander was angry at Hans. Nothing much was going to change that.

Ander looked over at Christian. Christian was looking at their father. He was studying him. Christian was trying to figure out what exactly the King was thinking. Only the King could make executive decisions during the trial. It doesn't matter whatever anybody else thought. The decision of the trial fell on the King's hand.

They heard a bell ring from the outside. It was coming from the bell tower that was connected to the castle.

Ander looked at the King. "Father," he said, "it's time."

The King nodded. "Guards!" The guards snapped their feet together, and hit the ground with the wooden tip of their spears. "Bring him in." He continued.

Two guards nodded, and walked to a door a few meters away from the throne. They opened the door, and a spiral staircase made of stone led down. They walked down the short flight of stairs, and that led to a dungeon. The dungeon was a long corridor with prison cells built into the walls. This time there was no one contained in the cells, except for one; Hans.

The guards walked to the cell at the end of the corridor. This cell was the most luxurious of the dungeon cells. It was larger than the others, with a carpet instead of a stone floor. There was a desk with a chair, and a wooden toilet instead of a hole in the ground. On the bed, lay Hans. He layed flat on the bed, with one arm behind his head, and the other on his stomach. His eyes were closed, but when the guards stood in front of his cell, and opened it, he opened his eyes, and got up.

Hans didn't regret what he had done. He felt that he deserved that power. He felt that he was unfairly derived from it.

Hans wasn't wearing clothes a normal prisoner would wear. He wore the clothes of a prince.

"What?" Hans asked. "Did father want to upgrade me to _my_ room instead of this prison?"

One of the guards shook his head. "It's time." He said.

Hans understood what that meant. His trial had begun. He nodded, and walked out of the cell. He walked through the corridor with the guards following him. They were prepared to strike first if they saw Hans do something clever. Hans walked to the stairs, and then walked up. He stood in front of the closed door at the top. Hans didn't know what awaited him on the other side.

Hans took a deep breath, and opened the door. Standing in front of Hans was Ander. Ander stared angrily at Hans.

"Hello, brother." Hans said.

Ander grabbed the collar of Han's clothes, and pinned him to the wall next to the door. Ander's teeth were clenched together. Hans gave Ander an evil look with his eyes, and tried desperately to get out of his grasp.

"We are no longer brothers!" Ander said.

"Agreed." Hans said angrily.

The guards didn't stop Ander, but Christian did. Christian walked behind Ander, and put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"That's enough!" Christian told Ander.

Ander looked back at his brother, and closed his eyes. Ander let go of Hans who fell to the ground. Ander walked back to the left side of his father, while Christian held his hand in front of Hans.

"Welcome home." Christian told Hans.

Hans samcked his brother's hand away. "A little late for that." Hans said.

Christian sighed in disappointment, and walked back to his father. Hans got up, and two guards held their spears to Hans' throat. One of them motioned his head to a spot in front of the throne. The guards put their spears down, and allowed Hans to walk to that position. When Hans got to the spot, the guards stood behind Hans. Hans stood in front of the throne, and looked at his father angrily. The King looked down, not meeting his son's eyes.

Christian spoke out. "Hans Westerguard, Prince of the Southern Isles. You have been put on trial for events that have taken place in Arendelle. You are charged with attempted murder and treason."

"Sounds about right." Hans said.

Christian continued, ignoring his brother. "Your trial will determine whether you shall keep your position as Prince, or be exhiled as a disgrace. You may make your argument now."

"Argument?" Hans said. "I'll give you an argument. Being the thirteenth in line, there is no way I can recieve the royal power that I should be given. So yes, I tried to take that power for myself."

"That power is earned, not taken." Ander said.

"Says the guy who's heir to our father's throne. You were born to recieve this power, Ander. I was not." Hans countered.

The King closed his eyes. "Hans speaks the truth."

"You should stop talking, father. I did not get what I'm promised by being your son!" Hans barked.

"Promised?" Christian said angrily. "You-"

The King motioned Christian to be silent. "Let your brother speak." He said.

"Yeah, Christian. Didn't mother ever tell you not to be rude?" Hans said.

"Don't bring her into this!" Ander yelled.

The room was silent. Ander's voice echoed throughout the room, and throughout the castle. Everyone in the castle was able to hear him.

Their mother, Queen of the Southern Isles was a sensitive topic. She passed away shortly after giving birth to Hans. That must be the reason Hans' brother resented him. They blamed him for the death of their beloved mother. The King never acted the same since her death. He was depressed for a while, but he eventually overcame it. The King did not remarry.

Now, knowing the things Hans has done, the King has become saddened again.

Hans was just joking around, but everyone took it seriously.

Hans was the first to speak up. "I did what I did, because I wanted what was promised. Father, the youngest of your sons feel the same way. The only difference is that I act on it."

"What you did was unacceptable!" Ander said.

"I did what I had to do. I was looking out for my own interests." Hans said.

"There was other ways." Christian said.

"What other ways?" Hans asked.

For once, Christian didn't have an answer. He always had an answer, but now, he was silenced. Hans was right. There was no other practical way to get the power. It was dishonest, but it would work. Hans knew there was no other way.

"I thought so." Hans said. "You must look at the bigger picture here, father. Queen Elsa has supernatural powers. She cursed Arendelle in an eternal winter."

"That is irrelevant right now." The King said.

"But-"

"We're not here to talk about that." the King said. The King sighed. "Hans, someone once told me that one who hungers for more, when they have everything, will lose everything. I've given you all I can so that you can enjoy you're life. Why can't that be enough?"

Hans didn't answer.

The King stood up. "Luckily for you," he said, "you won't lose everything."

Hans gave a surprised look, and Ander widened his eyes.

"What are you talking about father?" Ander asked.

The King motioned for him to be silent. "I, King Westerguard of the Southern Isles, announce that Prince Hans will not be exhiled, and that he will keep his position as prince."

"Thank you father." Hans nodded.

Ander was not happy with this decision. He didn't believe Hans should be off the hook that easily. He was disappointed in his father's decision, but he wouldn't say anything. He trusted what his father was doing.

"Father?" Hans asked. "Why did you make this decision."

The King looked at his feet. "I won't lose anymore family."

Christian thought this was stupid. "But-"

The King interrupted him. "All who question or deny my authority will be put on trial for treason."

Christian remained bitter, but silent.

The King continued to talk. "Hans, you will no longer be allowed outside the city. But, besides that, there will be no other reprecussions. Dismissed."

Hans smiled as the King walked out of the room through a door near the the throne. Christian followed his father, but Ander walked up to Hans. Ander was angry at Hans and his father. Mostly, Ander was angry with himself. He failed to make Hans happy with what he had, and he failed to convince his father to make Hans get what he deserved.

"Hello, brother." Hans said casually.

Ander didn't return the favor. "You are extremely lucky our father is a good man." He said. "Cus' if it were up to me..." Ander grabbed Hans and pulled him closer. "You wouldn't see the light of day tomorrow." Ander pushed Hans back.

Hans smiled as if he wasn't just bullied. "You don't mean that." Hans said.

Ander really didn't. Ander loved his brother, but he loved justice more. Ander walked away from Hans to go to his room.

"See you around." Hans said.

Ander kept walking, with his back turned to Hans. Soon, Ander was out of the room, and out of Han's sight. A guard from behind Hans cleared his throat, and got Hans' attention. Hans turned around to the guard.

"Sir, let me show you to your room." the guard said.

"I know my way." Hans said. The guard bowed, and walked away. With that, Hans walked to his room.

* * *

Hans sat at his desk, looking at himself in the mirror. A single candle was the only source of light in the room, and it was dying out. Hans' window was open, and the wind was blowing into the room. He walked to the window to see the night sky.

Hans couldn't believe he just got away with crimes. He got away with attempted murder and treason. What perplexed him is why his father would let him go that easily. He knows his father is a smart man, but even to Hans, a smart king wouldn't let crime go. Then, Hans remembered what the King had said. "I won't lose anymore family." The death of the Queen was still affecting them. Hans could care less about her, since he barely even knew her. But, once, she meant the world to the King, and Hans knew that.

Hans would stop at nothing to get the power he deserved. His journey for power will never end. He won't stop unless he gets it, or if he dies. But, Hans knew his chances of getting that power are now ruined. He would have to find a way to get these chances back. He didn't care how far he'll go.

He hated Anna and Elsa now more than ever. They ruined his plans, and they have more power than he ever had. Hans promised himself that he would take them down. No matter the cost, he would take them down.

Hans walked to his desk, and sat in his chair. The candlelight was getting dimmer. He thought about how his other brothers will react to him, though honestly, he didn't care what they thought. To him, they just got in the way of his power. He would knock down anything that gets in the way.

Hans couldn't believe that people were okay with Elsa's powers. No one else saw her the same way as Hans did; as a monster. Hans remembered Anna. He was surprised that she was so willing to marry him. She was easily manipulated, so she wasn't a problem for Hans.

"Do they think they can foil my plans, and get away with it? Do they think this won't blow up in their faces?" Hans asked himself. "They're foolish if they do."

Hans focused on the candlelight. It was almost completely gone.

"My father is a wise man, but he's too forgiving. Too much of a fool to see who I really am. Too much of a fool to recognize what's rightfully mine. Too much of a fool to not punish me." Hans continued. "The rest of my kin would've made the smart choice, but they have no say thankfully."

Hans looked at his mirror, and stared at himself. "That's the image of a true king. It won't be easy, but I will get the power I deserve."

The candlelight died, and Hans could no longer see himself.

"Know this Anna and Elsa..." He continued. "I will have my revenge."


	2. The Sound of Thunder

Author's Note: For those of you who don't know, the Kai in my story is an OC, and not the servant who works in Arendelle.

* * *

**Chapter II: The Sound of Thunder**

* * *

Kai and Elsa stood at the edge of the dock, the ship The Royal III was docked right next to them, ready to leave. They had both of their hands together, and looked at each other's eyes. Kai gave a warm look with his red eyes, and Elsa returned the favor with her blue eyes.

"It's just a short trip." Kai assured Elsa. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I know." Elsa said. She sniffed, and a tear ran down her cheek. "I'm going to miss you."

Kai put his hand on Elsa's cheek, and wiped away the tear. "I'll miss you too..." Kai said.

They knew it was cliché, but they didn't care. They loved each other that much. Kai loved her with all of his heart, despite the fact that she almost killed him when she froze his heart. Elsa loved Kai with all of her heart, despite the fact that he lied to her about his identity of being an ex "criminal", but she was cool with it when she found out. Good times.

They had a lot of time to be together, because Kai was Elsa's Captain of the Guard. He works closely with her to ensure her safety which was fine with her.

"One more present before I leave." Kai told Elsa.

"Oh?" Elsa raised her eyebrow. Elsa knew exactly what it was going to be. "Can't wait to have it." She said.

Kai leaned in to kiss Elsa, who closed her eyes. Before their lips touched, a man from the ship yelled.

"Captain Kai!" The man yelled.

Kai cursed in his mind, and looked over at the man.

"The ship is leaving, sir." The man told Kai.

Kai quickly pecked Elsa's cheek, and ran onto the ship. As the ship started to sail away, Kai stood at the back of the ship so that he could still see Elsa. They waved at each other as they got farther apart.

Then, from behind, someone grabbed Kai's arms and pinned them behind his back. Kai turned to see who is was, and he saw two masked men behind him. One was holding him in place while the other just stood there. Kai noticed that the mask that the men were wearing was the same mask that his old friend, Deren, wore when he worked with the Bandits.

Kai struggled to get out of their hold, but they were too strong. He tried to use his fire powers, but he couldn't. It was as if they were shut off. Kai looked over at Elsa from a distance, and he could see similarly clothed men holding her as well.

"No!" Kai yelled.

"Kai!" Elsa screamed. "Please, help me! Kai! Kai!"

"Kai!" yelled another voice.

Kai opened his eyes. He looked around. He was in his personal cabin on the ship, the Royal III. He looked at the ceiling, and found his chandelier shaking as the ship shook. He woke up from a nightmare. He reminded himself that none of that was real. He couldn't imagine Elsa being hurt like that. He wouldn't let that happen. He refused to let that happen.

"Kai!" Yelled the same voice. It was followed by knocking on his door.

Kai grabbed his sword at the side of the bed, and sheathed it on his waist. It was the same sword Kai was given during his Captain of the Guard ceremony. Kai walked to the door, and opened it. There stood a sailor who looked as if he just swam through the ocean.

"Sorry to disturb you." The sailor said. "But the Captain requests your audience."

"For what reason?" Kai asked.

"You'll have to find out for yourself." The sailor said.

The sailor walked away, and Kai walked out do his cabin.

The ship rocked as it sailed though the ocean. The night was darker than any other the sailors had seen before. Rain fell heavily on the ocean. The ship went over the huge waves, and water splashed all over the deck. The sailors did their best to make sure the ship didn't go under. They could see lightning flash in the distance. Tonight was not a good night to be sailing on the seas. But, tonight was the night that Kai sailed.

Kai was immediately soaked in rain, as he stepped out of his room. Kai walked up the stairs on his side that led to the wheel of the boat. There, the captain of the ship was manning it.

"Captain Berg!" Kai called for his attention.

"Captain Kai." Berg acknowledged.

"I'm not that kind of captain." Kai corrected.

Berg shrugged. "Doesn't matter." He said.

"A sailor said you requested my attention." Kai said.

"I just wanted to see my favorite fire man." Berg said. "How was the meeting?"

Kai was sailing because Elsa sent him to a meeting about trade with Arendelle in another country. It was a long trip there, and it would be a long trip back. The ship they used and are using is the Royal III, it was renamed from it's original name, The Duke of Weseltown. Now, they were sailing back to Arendelle. But, the weather wasn't as good as they thought it was.

"The meeting went great." Kai answered. "They have agreed to continue trading with Arendelle for another decade."

"You did well." Berg said.

"I appreciate it."

"Kai? Why did the Queen send you rather than someone else? You're the closest person she has." Berg asked.

"Elsa wanted me to know how this politics thing works. She said I'll need it when I become king." Kai answered.

"Does that mean you'll wed, captain?" Berg asked.

"Well, I haven't formally proposed. We only met about 6 months ago. But, I hope we'll get there."

"So... fire and ice ruling."

"Problem?"

"No... Well, I'm happy for you Kai."

"Thank you, captain. How far are we from home?" Kai asked.

"I'd say about a day." Berg answered.

"Are we at half or full sail?" Kai asked.

"Half." Berg answered.

"I want full sail. That way, we'll get there faster." Kai ordered.

"Half sail is more maneuverable." Berg said. "In full sail, we'll be taken by the storm."

"But-"

"I've been sailing these seas for more years than the years in your lifespan, I know what I'm doing."

Kai couldn't wait a day. He wanted to see Elsa right now. He was too excited to give her the news. Kai looked around the deck. He saw men struggling to work the ship. The cold didn't help them work any better. The ship rocked violently, and lightning flashed in the distance.

"Pray we'll make it." Kai told Berg.

"I've faced storms like these before." Berg said. "I lived to tell the tale."

Lightning struck a few meters next to the ship. The sound of thunder followed. The ship continued to shake violently. The lightning blinded half of the ship. Some men fell down, and one man went overboard, though he swam back to the ship. Soon, the men returned to their post, unfazed.

"That was close." Kai told Berg.

Kai didn't hear Berg respond. Kai turned his head to look at Berg, but Berg was lying on the ground. A pool of blood was under him. A dagger stuck out of Berg's back. Kai gasped, and knelt next to the Captain. Berg was murdered. There was a killer on the ship, and everyone was in danger. The lightning was the perfect distraction for the murder. Kai couldn't believe he had let that happen right in front of him. Then, he wonder why he wasn't stabbed as well.

Kai took the dagger out of Berg's back, and examined the blade. It had a golden hilt, with blood on the blade. Kai's eyes widened. This dagger belonged to him. It was the dagger he had lost the last time he was in Teranhall. It was the dagger he had lost when he was fighting Deren.

Kai yelled, and called for everyone's attention.

"What is it?" Asked a sailor.

"The captain has been murdered!" Kai revealed.

The crew was silent. There were some whispers, but that was it. Kai motioned for everyone to come up, and see the body. The crew ran up, and crowded around Berg. They looked with horror in their eyes.

"There's a killer on the ship." Kai said. "He was stabbed by this dagger." Kai showed everyone the dagger. "Watch your backs. Dismissed."

The crowd did not go anywhere. They were paralyzed with disbelief and fear,

"I said dismissed!" Kai ordered.

The crowd slowly dispersed, and soon, all of them were back to their duties except for one man. A young man stood next to Kai.

"Who're you?" Kai asked.

"Berg's first mate." The young man answered.

"Do you know what that means?" Kai asked.

The young man nodded.

"She's all yours." Kai said, pointing to the wheel. "Captain..."

"Phelps." The young man said.

"The ships yours, Captain Phelps." Kai said. "What should I do with the body?"

"Drop him into the ocean. He wanted to die at sea." Phelps answered.

As Kai picked up Berg's body, Phelps put his hands on the wheel. Though it wasn't the first time Phelps manned the wheel, it felt like the first time. His mentor was gone, and he had to take the responsibility that comes after it. Kai stood at the edge of the ship, with Berg in his hand. Kai thought it was disrespectful, but that's what Berg would've wanted. Kai dropped the body into the stormy sea, and it sunk slowly.

"Good bye... friend." Kai whispered.

Kai walked next to Phelps. He noticed the way Phelps was manning the wheel. The ship was rocking, and Phelps' hands were shaking. Kai didn't know whether Phelps was unexperienced or afraid.

"You'll do fine." Kai assured.

Phelps didn't respond.

"Hang tight. I'm going to find out who did this." Kai told Phelps.

"How?" Phelps asked.

"I don't know." Kai said truthfully. Then, Kai looked at the pool of blood where Berg was. He then noticed small smears of blood leading away. The blood trail led to the trapdoor that went below deck. "Scratch that." Kai said.

With that, Kai followed the blood trail.

* * *

Below deck, water dripped from the ceiling. It eerily quite, but Kai wasn't surprised. Most of the crew was on the top deck, trying to survive this storm. Kai wondered if it was a smart idea to let Phelps be captain. There were many more experienced individuals on the ship, bit Phelps was captain now. It didn't matter now. Kai worried about getting Berg's killer.

Kai could see the blood trail go deeper below deck. It went down one more level. Now, Kai was at the lowest level of the ship. Cannons were on the side of the walls. The blood got more faint as he followed. Kai deduced that the killer stepped on the pool of blood, and fled below deck. The killer failed to see the blood trail he created.

Kai was closer to the killer now. Kai knew that the killer was nearby. He had to stop this man. For Berg. For Arendelle. This was going to be a crazy story to tell when Kai got home. Assuming the storm let Kai go home.

Kai walked to the middle of them room. He heard a splash where he stepped. He looked down to see a puddle of water around his foot. Kai moved his foot, and found a small hole on the wooden floor. Water from the ocean leaked through.

Then, the ship turned violently. Kai slipped to the floor, and hit his head on the ground.

"Ow." Kai said, rubbing the back of his head.

Then, Kai heard something unsheathed. He looked up to see a man jumping at him, with a sword in his hand, ready to strike. Kai moved out of the way, and the man stabbed the wood where Kai was. The sword was stuck to the wood, and the man pulled desperately to try to get it out. Kai kicked the blade of the sword, and it broke. The kicked blade flew and stuck to a wall.

Kai found the killer. Kai punched the man in the face, and he flew back, and fell to the ground. Kai walked toward the killer, with a fireball in his hand, but Kai stopped in his tracks. He recognized the man. The right side of the man's face was scarred. His right eye was milky white. He gave Kai a murderous look.

"Deren..." Kai said.

Deren kicked his legs forward, hitting Kai, and pushing him back. Deren grabbed another sword strained to his waist.

"Hello, Kai." Deren said.

"_You_ killed Berg."

Deren nodded.

"Why strike now?"

Deren shrugged. "Felt like it was the right time."

Kai unsheathed his sword, and Deren attacked. Kai met Deren's blade with his own, and their swords clashed together. They were trying to push each other back, but they were equally matched in strength.

"I let you go!" Kai said as they clashed. "This is how you return the favor?"

"I'll have my revenge, Kai!" Deren yelled.

Kai kicked Deren back, and shot a blast of fire at him. Deren dodged the blast, and the fire hit the wall. Fortunately, the wood of the wall was too wet for the fire to do any damage, so it just left a black spot on the wall. Deren pulled out something strapped to his waist. He pulled out a flintlock pistol.

"You're not the only one who can play with fire." Deren told Kai.

Before Deren could pull the trigger, Kai smacked the pistol away with his sword. Deren jabbed at Kai, but Kai sidestepped the attack. Unfortunately, Deren cut through Kai's side. Kai grabbed the side of his torso in agony, and fell to his knees. Deren raised his sword above Kai, but Kai shot Deren back to the wall with his fire. Deren gave a pained look, but shrugged it off.

As Kai slowly got up, Deren ran for his pistol. On one particular step, Deren's foot went through the wooden floor. The plank he stepped on was too weak. Deren pulled his foot out of the wood, and saw the water rushing onto the ship, quickly. Deren left a moderately big hole on the floor. Soon, the ship would be flooded completely. Deren was okay with that.

Kai saw the hole, and his eyes widened. They had to evacuate the ship, or go down with it.

Deren ran, picked up his pistol, and aimed it at Kai. Kai was gone. Kai ran above deck to warn the others.

Kai stood on the middle of the deck, and started yelling.

"Everyone! Get off the ship!" Kai yelled.

"Why?" asked a sailor. "Something wrong?"

"It's flooded!" Kai answered. "Lower the rowboats." Kai ordered. "Take all but one!"

"We'll die on the rowboats on this storm!" yelled a sailor.

"Have a little faith." Kai assured.

With that, the crew ran to the elevated deck, and lowered the rowboats. They all got on one at a time. They left one rowboat behind for Kai. Kai ran up next to Phelps who still had the wheel.

"You have to go." Kai told Phelps.

"I'm not going anywhere." Phelps said.

"Don't be stupid."

"A captain goes down with his ship." Phelps argued.

"But-"

Kai looked at the trapdoor on deck. It opened, and Deren walked out, sword in hand.

"Kai!" he yelled.

Kai jumped to the floor below them to meet Deren. They stood in front of each other, sidestepping in a circular direction.

"We were friends once." Kai said.

"Once." Deren said.

"It doesn't have to end this way."

"On the contrary. For me, it won't end any other way."

Deren jabbed at Kai, but used his sword to smack Deren's upward. Kai side kicked Deren, but Deren's hand met his foot. Deren grabbed Kai's foot, and spun Kai around. When Deren let go, Kai flew backwards, and fell to the ground.

"Captain!" yelled a sailor.

Kai and Deren looked to see a sailor standing next to Phelps, and watching their fight.

"I said go!" Kai yelled at the sailor.

"But-"

"That's an order!"

Deren started to walk towards the sailor, intent on harming him. The sailor ran back to the rowboats. There were only 2 rowboats remaining. One for Kai, and the other for the boarding sailors.

Kai shot a blast of fire at Deren's back, and Deren fell face first on the ground.

"Your fight is with me!" Kai said.

Kai jumped up, and pulled out his dagger. Now, Kai held a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Kai charged towards Deren, who got up quickly. Deren reacted quickly as well. Deren swung at Kai with his sword, and Kai blocked the attack. The took turns striking at each other, but the other would just block the attack. Sparks would fly out whenever their swords touched.

By then, all of the sailors were on rowboats, and on the deadly sea. Their greatest challenge, now, would be the waves. They had to get to Arendelle safely. Phelps was still manning the ship, and watching Kai and Deren battle. He wanted to help Kai, but he couldn't let go of the wheel.

Kai jabbed at Deren, but Deren jumped back. From the inside of his shirt, Deren pulled out three knives and threw them at Kai. Time slowed down for Kai. Kai smacked the knives away with his blades.

Deren ran at Kai with his sword, and Kai was ready for him. But, instead of striking, Deren dropped to the floor and slid towards Kai. Kai wasn't expecting this. Deren knocked Kai down, and he ran to the middle mast.

Deren started to climb the rope of the mast up. He climbed quickly and swiftly. Kai got up, and followed Deren's example. Deren was meters ahead of Kai when he reached the top of the mast; the bird's nest.

What is he doing, Kai thought to himself. This wasn't like Deren. Why would Deren run from a fight? Especially if there's no where to run.

Then, Deren hung from the bird's nest with one arm, and a pistol in the other.

"I knew you'd follow me up." Deren said, smiling.

Deren aimed the pistol at Kai, and Kai's eyes widened as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

The gun shot was heard by the sailors, who were far away from the ship, but close enough to see the ship. The gun shot was like thunder. Thunder startled them.

"Hear that?" asked one of the sailors.

"Everyone in Arendelle could hear that." said another.

"It's clear as day. That was a flintlock shot." said another.

"Does the captain have a gun?" asked a sailor.

"No. I think that was our murderer, men." said another.

The waves were pushing the rowboats back, but they were still moving up. They had to get to Arendelle. They had to survive.

"Does that mean Captain Kai is..."

"I'm afraid so."

Sailors with hats on from all of the boats took them off, and held them to their chests. One sailor started singing. It was a shanty they would sing when they lost someone. It was a very sad tune. As if this day could get any worse.

"Men." Said a sailor. "We must inform Queen Elsa of her lost."

Then, the men saw lightning strike the ship. Fire burned on the deck. They knew that that was it for Kai.


	3. Days Gone By

**Chapter III: Days Gone By**

* * *

It was a nice, sunny afternoon in Arendelle. The sun smiled upon the shores. People were done with their jobs for the day, so they stuck around outside, having fun.

Elsa skipped ahead of her sister, Anna, and her husband, Kristoff. They were having a nice stroll around the city. They never usually walked together as a family. They could never find the time. Which was strange because Elsa was Queen. She had all the time in the world on her hands. She was acting stranger than usual. For some reason, she was humming a tune with a smile on her face. Anna knew that her sister never usual keeps that smile on for long. Anna and Kristoff wondered what was wrong with Elsa.

"Is she alright?" Kristoff whispered to Anna.

"I think she had too much chocolate." Anna replied.

"Chocolate!" said a familiar voice behind them.

Anna and Kristoff turned around and found Olaf walking behind them. Olaf was smiling, as usual. It seems as if you could never get that smile off of his face. It was glued on him. That's why they loved Olaf so much.

"Hey Olaf." Kristoff said, patting the snowman's head. "What're you-"

Kristoff was interrupted by Elsa's voice.

"How about ice cream!" he heard her say.

They looked over at Elsa, who was in front of a group of children. They screamed in the air with excitement and joy. Elsa aimed her finger behind them, and twirled it around. A huge bowl made of ice appeared, and then, ice cream of all flavored started dropping down from a cloud Elsa made above the bowl. The children cheered, and ran to the treat. Elsa put her hands together and smiled.

"I didn't even know she could do that!" Anna said.

Kristoff, still looking at the ice cream, asked Olaf, "Do you know what's up with her?" Kristoff looked down to where Olaf was, but the snowman had gone. Anna tapped Kristoff's arm, and pointed him towards the ice cream. Olaf was enjoying the ice cream just as much as the children.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked off, and Olaf ran and followed them.

"I think the ice cream gave me a stomach ache." Olaf said.

"HOW?!" Kristoff and Anna said at the same time.

Olaf shrugged.

Elsa continued to frolic happily around Arendelle, while Anna and Kristoff remained confused with what was going on. Finally, Anna had enough of being in the dark. She rushed ahead, next to her sister.

"Elsa?" Anna asked.

"What is it, sis?" Elsa responded.

That was weird. Never has Elsa ever called Anna sis. That was a huge red flag that something strange was going on. Anna had a weird feeling in her stomach.

"What's with your happy mood?" Anna asked.

"What reason is there not to be happy?!" Elsa said. "It's a bright sunny day, children are enjoying themselves, and Kai is coming back from his trip today."

Bingo, Anna thought. That's why she was so happy. She wanted to see Kai so bad. Elsa couldn't wait to see him again. Elsa felt as if Kai's been gone forever, when he's only been gone a couple of days. Elsa couldn't stand being away from him. She loved him that much.

"So is that what this is about?" Anna asked.

"Mostly." Elsa answered.

"Mostly?"

"I'm also here with family."

Elsa grabbed Anna's hands and spun them around. The sisters laughed. They felt like they were children again, and were having fun before the time Elsa isolated herself. Olaf couldn't resist but join. The snowman grabbed Anna's leg, and spun around with her. But, the speed in which they spun was too much to handle. Olaf's arms detached from his body, and he went flying into a barrel nearby. Anna and Elsa stopped spinning and looked at the barrel.

"You okay?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah." Olaf answered.

Someone cleared his throat behind Elsa and Anna. They turned around to find one of the castle gaurs standing behind them.

"Your majesty." He said. "The sailors from the trip had returned, and are in the castle now. They require your audience."

Elsa was ecstatic. Kai had returned! He was back from the trip with, hopefully, good news. Though, all Elsa really cared about in that moment was seeing Kai's face again.

The group rushed to the castle.

* * *

Elsa opened the door that led into the room where the sailors were. The room was a lounge. Three couches were placed around a fireplace. There was a long window on the wall. Looking through the window, you could see the entire city. It was already dark out. Bookshelves were placed all around the walls, all of them filled with books.

All around the room were the sailors. They all had a blanket covering them with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. You could tell they've seen better days because of the look in their faces.

Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff walked into the room. Two guards were in the room, each in a different corner. Elsa looked around desperately to find Kai, but he wasn't there.

"Where's Captain Kai?" Elsa asked the sailors.

There was a silence. Elsa didn't like what was going on. She had to know what had happened. A sailor finally spoke up.

"We attacked in the dead of night." said the sailor, who had a Scottish accent. "The sea storms were not kind with our vessel. The ship's captain, Captain Berg, was murdered."

Anna gasped, and Kristoff's eyes widened. He put his arm around his wife's shoulder. Olaf, for once, stayed silent. Elsa continued to listen.

"Kai," continued the sailor, "he wanted to get to the bottom of this. He went down below the deck. When he came up, he told us to evacuate the ship since it was flooding. We left on the rowboats as he fought the killer. The man had a scar on his face. The scar was all over one side of it."

Deren, Elsa thought.

"Kai and the new captain, Captain Phelps, volunteered to stay back with the ship. When we were far, we heard a gunshot. I'm sorry milady."

Elsa couldn't believe this. She refused to believe this. She refused to believe that her beloved Kai went down with a gunshot. She was angry in the inside. She wasn't angry at Deren, no, but she was angry with Kai. How could he be so selfish and leave her alone? No, Kai isn't dead, she told herself. He survived much worse. He can't be dead.

"As long as you didn't see the body," Elsa said,"he can't be considered dead."

"Queen," said another sailor, "lightning struck the ship shortly after the gunshot. The ship caught fire, and it eventually went down. He's gone."

Elsa felt as though if she was stabbed through the heart. She was crying on the inside, but she couldn't show it. She had lost one of the people she loved most of all. After all they've been together, he was gone now. Elsa wanted a future with Kai. She wanted them to get married, and rule the land side by side as King and Queen. That dream ended. Elsa now had lost a third person in her life. Elsa failed to see what Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf were thinking. They had just lost one of their closest friends.

The room suddenly got colder. The fire died out, and the room darkened. The hot chocolate suddenly froze completely. Anna noticed this, and knew it was her sisters doing.

"Elsa..." Anna said.

Elsa looked back at her sister. Then, Elsa's eyes started to tear up. Elsa ran past her sister, and out of the room. Elsa ran away from everyone, and Anna followed.

"Wait!" Anna said.

Elsa ignored her sister, and continued running through the castle. When Elsa's tears fell off her face, they froze immediately and were like hail dropping on the floor. Elsa didn't want anyone to be around her right now. As Elsa ran, she used her powers to put a layer of ice over the floor. Behind her, Anna slid, trying desperately to keep her balance while Elsa swiftly ran over it.

Elsa was losing control of her powers, and she couldn't let that happen. As she ran, she tried her best to keep them at bay. She had to constantly remind her to conceal and don't feel. It was barely working.

Elsa saw the door to her room, and ran in. She locked the door behind her, and froze the lock. Elsa ran to her bed, and started crying on her pillow.

Anna had lost track of Elsa. She eventually came across the corridor where Elsa's room was. As she walked through the corridor, she could hear crying from Elsa's room. Anna knew where Elsa was. Anna turned the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. Anna knew Elsa locked herself in, again.

Anna couldn't imagine how Elsa must've felt. She knew how important Kai was to her sister. Kai was there for Elsa whenever Anna was not. Anna looked to the right of Elsa's room, and saw another door. This door had red patterns on it, instead of Elsa's blue patterns. That was Kai's room. Anna felt as if she had to check it. Anna slowly opened Kai's door, and it creaked open.

Anna saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was a large bed, with a nightstand, a desk, and a few chairs. Anna walked to the nightstand and found a picture. Anna picked it up, and saw that it was a colored drawing of Elsa. Elsa meant the world to Kai. Anna put the picture down, walked out, and stood in front of Elsa's door.

Anna knew that she had to be the one to comfort Elsa. Anna was one of the last people Elsa truly loved. Anna knocked on Elsa's door. She didn't expect it to open.

Anna talked to Elsa from the other side of the door.

"Elsa, yes, I know you miss him/ Olaf, Kristoff, and I do too/ You must have courage/ I know you're trying too/ We're all right here for you/ Just let us in/ I know you loved each other/ But, you still have me/ Do what you need to do..."

Anna put her hand on the door. She could feel how cold it was.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked.

Anna didn't know if Elsa was going to open up. Anna didn't know if she could make Elsa feel any better. Anna started to walk away, but as she walked, she heard Elsa's door open. Anna turned to see a tearing Elsa slowly walk out. Anna ran, and hugged her sister.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa." Anna said.

Elsa didn't respond. She broke away from their hug, and looked at Anna.

"Tell the royal priest to prepare a funeral." Elsa told Anna.

Elsa walked back into her room, leaving Anna alone in the corridor. Anna looked down at her feet. Then, she left to find the priest.

* * *

Kai couldn't be buried. They didn't have the body. They put a memorial gravestone for Kai. It was put next to the memorial to his parents. After their time in Teranhall, Kai requested that graves would be put in his parents' name. Elsa placed them in the same area where the memorial for her parents are.

Elsa actually showed up to the funeral. She had tears running down her face at all times. She was sick of people empathizing with her. They didn't know how she felt.

Every day, Elsa would sit on the balcony of her study, which was the highest point of Arendelle Castle. She would look over at the ocean, hoping for Kai to return. She knew that he wasn't. She hated the sea. The sea had taken so much from her.

Elsa didn't spend much time around others. She spent most of her time in her study. Anna would visit Elsa daily, but Anna always had to go. It was rare for any of the citizens to see Elsa anymore. She had once again isolated herself. For the next three months, Elsa would sit in her study, thinking about Kai. Soon, winter came, and this time, it wasn't caused by Elsa.

* * *

Word doesn't spread fast, apparently. It took quite a while for word of Teranhall's eternal winter to spread. It slowly spread from kingdom to kingdom. Finally, the Southern Isles got word of it.

Hans and his father, The King, were having a private conversation in the throne room.

"Queen Elsa is a monster." Hans said.

"What makes you say that?" The King asked.

"She placed Arendelle in an eternal winter!" Hans barked.

"Father, did you not hear?"

The King gave Hans a perplexed look.

"Teranhall has been put into an eternal winter a few months back. It was quite short, but it was still unnatural. That was Queen Elsa's doing!" Hans informed.

"What proof of this do you have?" The King asked.

"Proof? Who else has the power to do that?! Do you believe this second time was an accident? Plus, what business would Elsa have with Teranhall? This was on purpose, I'm sure of it."

"What do you want me to do, Hans?"

Hans was annoyed that his father didn't get the idea.

"What do I want you to do? How long is it until Weseltown is in eternal winter? How long is it until the Southern Isles is in eternal winter? Soon! The Queen is dangerous, and this terror she is striking must stop immediately!"

"So what? Do you want me to declare war on Arendelle?"

Hans smiled. His plan was going well.

"Precisely." Hans said.

"Forget it." The King said.

Hans' smile faded.

"Father, it's for the safety of the kingdom." Hans said.

"We'll keep this kingdom safe by kindly telling Queen Elsa to stop freezing things, and prevent the slaughter of hundreds!" The King countered. "I won't use my recourses unless other kingdoms will."

"Then call in a war counsel!" Hans yelled.

"Absolutely not!"

"Father, please." Hans spoke in a pleading tone. "We can prevent further harm to kingdoms by stopping Elsa's reign. Please, for once listen to me. Father, this isn't you talking is it? It's Christian and Ander. Listen to me and give me a chance."

Hans looked down and shed a tear. He then told the King quietly "Mother would've given me this chance."

The King gave Hans a saddened look. The King loved his kingdom safety, but he loved his family more. The King stood up from his throne, and Hans looked up at him.

"Very well..." The King said. "I shall send a courier to the Kingdoms. I'll request this war counsel, and whatever they decide, I shall follow. Dismissed."

Hans walked off to his room. He smiled as he walked. He got what he wanted. His revenge was underway. He couldn't believe that his father actually listened to him. It was a good thing for Hans that his brothers weren't there. Hans couldn't stop thinking about how much of a good actor he was.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter is about 2600 words long, and it will be the shortest chapter in the entire story.


	4. Gatherings

**Chapter IV: Gatherings**

* * *

It took about a week for all of the invited monarchs to come to the Southern Isles. Many of them were reluctant to come at first, but they decided for it when they were pleaded to come. It's been quite a while since the last war counsel. The kingdoms try to be as peaceful with each other as possible, and the Southern Isles would be the first to change that in a long time.

Monarchs or representatives from across the sea came to the war counsel. The newly appointed Duke of Weseltown arrived, King Lyre of Teranhall arrived, as did the King and Queen of Corona. This meeting had to be kept secret from Arendelle. Queen Elsa couldn't find out what the Southern Isles were plotting. Of course, Elsa didn't know that, and the representatives didn't know Arendelle wasn't invited.

The ships from the kingdoms were docked in the Southern Isles' docks. One by one, the representatives for each kingdom entered the Southern Isles' castle. They were greeted by Hans' brothers. This time, Ander and Christian were not allowed to accompany their father. They were not allowed to advise or persuade him. Only Hans was allowed to the meeting since he was the one who requested the war counsel.

The representative, Hans, and his father all sat around a large table. Small snacks and fruits were placed on plates and spread around the table. Two guards stood at the doorway, making sure no one interrupts the meeting. The representatives did not yet know what the counsel was for. All the knew was that the request was urgent.

The representatives quietly chatted with one another before the meeting even began. Some were talking about what they think the point of the war counsel was for. They wondered who this war counsel will be targeting. Some talked about gossip among kingdoms. It's hard to believe that kingdoms gossip. They were whispering about what was going on in the Southern Isles. Many wondered why Hans wasn't jailed, since many of them were there in Arendelle during it's eternal winter. They witnessed the things Hans did.

Servants were pouring wine into glasses for the guests. No one questioned the contents of the wine. A long time ago, kingdom's would poison another's monarchs during meetings like this, but, soon, a rule was made that if anything happens to the visiting representatives while they were in another kingdom, that kingdom would be considered as good as dead. So, the guests just enjoyed their wine without worry, because if they were poisoned, that would be the Southern Isles' lost.

Hans sat next to his father at one end of the table, and King Lyre sat alone at the opposite end. Everyone was ready for the meeting to begin. The King of the Southern Isles stood up, and tapped his glass of wine with a spoon. The talking between the others died, and they focused their attention on the King.

"The Southern Isles thanks you for the time you have spared to be here tonight." said Han's father.

"What is the meaning for this meeting?" asked a monarch.

Hans' father looked down at his son, and nodded. That told Hans that Hans would be the one to explain to everyone why they were here. Hans stood up as his father sat down. His father didn't want to be here. He didn't like the reason for this meeting. But, he had to do it for his son. This is him giving back to his son. He knew he wasn't always there for Hans, and this was his way of repaying him. But, he kept wondering in his mind, how far will he go for Hans? What will he do for Hans, even after everything Hans has done.

"Why is he here?" asked the French monarch. "Did he not commit crimes in Arendelle?"

"Speaking of Arendelle..." the Spanish monarch spoke. "Where is Queen Elsa?"

The crowd started talking again. Their whispers did not allow Hans to talk. They gossiped some more, and Hans was having enough. Hans clenched his fist, and banged his hand on the table. The whole table shook, and everyone went silent. Some of the snacks jumped off of the plates, and the fruits rolled off the table.

"My father has given me a second chance." Hans told the people. "I regret my actions during Queen Elsa's coronation, and though it is not my fault, I apologize for the eternal winter as well."

No one commented Hans.

"The meeting was called because of Queen Elsa." Hans continued. Hans looked over at King Lyre. "Teranhall has, previously, been put in a brief eternal winter, and Queen Elsa is to blame."

Lyre stood up. "Yes, Teranhall was in eternal winter, but it's not Elsa's fault."

"Oh really?" Hans asked. "Who else has the power to do that? Do you have any magical abilities, Lyre?"

"No, but-"

"Then I suggest you sit back down. If you have any information regarding the cause of the winter, then please tell us."

Lyre wouldn't tell. He couldn't tell. It was his fault there was an eternal winter. He used the Conduit against his own kingdom by absorbing Elsa's powers. He reformed from his evil ways, and Elsa promised not to tell anybody. If Lyre told the truth now, he would be ruined. His own kingdom would abolish his rule, like they did so many years ago. Lyre sat back down, and kept his mouth shut.

"Smart man." Hans continued. "It was Queen Elsa's fault. Now, two kingdoms have been put into eternal winter because of her. People were suffering in that time. How long will it be until the next eternal winter is put upong your own kingdoms? It will be sooner rather than later. Queen Elsa is a monster, and is a menace to each and every one of your kingdoms."

"What are you suggesting?" asked a representative.

Hans picked up a table knife, and stabbed it on the table. "We declare war on Arendelle, on Queen Elsa. If they fall, your kingdoms will be safe." Hans said.

The crowd lost control. People started to stand up, and yell at Hans. But then, others started to stand up as well, and defend Hans. They argued whether they should declare war or not. Hans smiled. He loved the disaster. He loved the drama. All of this entertained him, and he wanted to continue watching. But, Hans' father called for his attention, and he told Hans to take control of the crowd. Hans rolled his eyes and obeyed his father's command.

"Silence!" Hans yelled.

Silence followed. The guests sat back down, and once again, put their focus back on Hans.

"I won't declare war on Arendelle." said the French monarch. "They have done nothing to me, and I believe they will never do anything." Others spoke out in agreement.

"Who does support me?" Hans spoke. About half of the guests raised their hands. "Okay..." Hans said. Hans looked over at his father, and saw that he wasn't raising his hand. The King of the Southern Isles would only follow the majority of the kingdoms. It was about even right now.

"For those of you not raising your hands right now, let me tell you this. Fine. Don't help with this war effort. But, when you wake up, and see snow storms raging outside during summer, you'll know Elsa has struck. You'll know you've been wrong. None of us will be there to help you. Children will starve on your streets, and corpses will be piled up, as big as a castle. But, if we strike Arendelle now, you can prevent that. You can live the rest of your lives knowing the witch, Elsa, won't come after you. Now, who's with me?"

All but two people raised their hands. King Lyre and Hans' father kept theirs down. Hans' father looked around, and decided that that was a majority. He raised his hand up as well. Everyone focused on King Lyre. Lyre gave an angry look, and stood up. Instead of saying anything, he walked out of the room. Lyre could not betray Elsa like that. Not after what he had done to them.

"We will help you with the war." said the French monarch. "But, we shall not declare war under the names of our countries. I believe I speak for all of us when I say this." Everyone in the room nodded. The French King continued to speak. "We shall supply the Southern Isles with men, food, weapons, and a few ships from our navy, but besides that, you fight this war alone."

Hans nodded. "I'm good with that. From now on, Arendelle will no longer be viewed as a friendly country." Everyone nodded.

Hans' father stood up. "Thank you for coming. Dismissed!"

Hans and his father spoke privately as the monarchs left the room to go back to their homes.

"Hans, I don't want to waste supplies because of an assumption that a Queen is evil." The King said.

"You won't, trust me." Hans said. "I know what I'm doing. You don't even have to be involved, father. Just give the reins to me and Ander."

The King nodded and closed his eyes.

"Send a courier to Arendelle. They have to know what's coming towards them." The King said.

* * *

Music played from the grand ballroom. Guests were lined up to go inside of Arendelle Castle. Tables filled with food and sweets were placed all around the room, but the center of the room was empty for dancing. Guests mingled in the ballroom and the courtyard. They raised their glasses of wine in the air, and cheered. They were all having a swell time. It was Elsa's birthday party, celebrating her twenty-third birthday. This party was more grand than Elsa's party last year.

Guests danced together in the dance floor, and the way they danced depended on the music playing. Spectators clapped their hands together as they watched. Olaf and Sven were outside, greeting the coming guests though most of them were not to happy being hugged by a snowman, and licked by a reindeer. Anna and Kristoff were dancing hand in hand together, and they smiled at each other as they danced.

Anna laughed as Kristoff twirled her around, and he was surprised when she dipped him. They posed when the music stopped playing. They never had time to dance together like this. It's been quite awhile since Elsa agreed to throw a party. She hasn't been the same ever since the incident with Kai.

Kristoff looked over to where Elsa's grand chair was, and he found that it was empty.

"Did she not show up?" Kristoff asked Anna.

Anna looked over at Elsa's chair. Her smile faded, and she looked down at her feet, and then back to Kristoff.

"She hasn't shown her face to the public for the past few months. I don't think she wants to now." Anna said.

"She's been through a lot." Kristoff said.

"Yeah..."

Anna looked back at the chair. Anna was sick of Elsa isolating herself again. She wanted her sister back. She wanted she and Elsa to bond together like they used to. To become the greatest of friends again. Anna was angry at Kai. She was angry with the fact that Kai's fate forced her sister into isolation. Anna wanted her sister to come down, and enjoy her life.

"I'm going to get her." Anna said.

"Are you sure you can get her to come down?" Kristoff asked.

"She'll do anything for me." Anna said. "Besides, I'm very persuasive."

"So I've heard."

Anna kissed her husband on the cheek, and walked away. She walked to the door that led to the castle' main hall. Anna greeted some of the guests as she walked. She wondered what she was going to say to Elsa. Anna wasn't sure if she was correct when she said that Elsa would do anything for her. Throughout Anna's entire life, she hasn't been able to convince Elsa of something on many occassions.

Anna nodded at the guard standing in front of the door, and he stepped aside, and opened the door for Anna. She walked into the empty main hall, and looked over at the stairs that led up. She walked up the stairs, and then walked into a long corridor that had railings that overlooked the floor below. Anna saw Elsa's room, and opened the door.

She looked inside, and found that Elsa was not there. Anna saw that Elsa's bed was a mess, the floor was covered with Elsa's clothes, and a bottle of wine lay on her nightstand, next to a picture. Anna didn't realize how much Kai's death had changed Elsa and her living style. Elsa was always neat and tidy, but that obviously changed. Anna walked and grabbed the bottle of wine. It was empty.

Has she been drinking, Anna thought.

Anna looked at the picture next to the bottle. It was a small painting. It showed Elsa and Kai sitting next to eachother holding hands while smiling. Those were happier days.

Anna knew the only place Elsa could be was in her study. Anna walked out, and walked to the stairs at the end of the corridor. She walked up, and it led to another long corridor with windows on the walls. A pair of doors were at the other end of the hallway. Anna walked to the door, and put her hand on the door knob. It was freezing cold.

Anna pulled her hand away from the door knob, and took a deep breath. It was obvious that Elsa didn't want anyone opening that door. Anna was determind to talk to her sister. Anna knocked the door.

"Who is it?" Elsa's voice asked from the other side.

"It's me Anna." Anna answered.

The door opened in front of Anna, and Elsa stood there facing her sister.

"What do you want?" Elsa asked.

"I want you to go down there and join the party." Anna answered.

"No thank you." Elsa said.

Elsa pushed the door forward so that it would close, but Anna stopped it. Elsa walked back into her study, and Anna followed. Anna looked around and found papers on the floor, and open books everywhere.

"You've been busy." Anna said.

"I have a lot of free time in my hands." Elsa said.

"Of course you do." Anna said. "Elsa, I know its been hard for you, really, I do. But do you know how long its been since the people have seen your face?"

"Why does it matter, Anna?" Elsa asked, slightly annoyed.

"Because your their Queen! You're supposed to be a good leader, and a sociable one."

Elsa looked away from her sister, and at a picture of Kai on her desk.

"Kai was a good leader..." Elsa said.

Anna looked at Elsa with a sad face. Elsa couldn't get Kai out of her mind.

"Elsa," Anna said, "you love him, I know that. But you love me too. I love you back. Becuase I love you, it pains me to see you like this. Please, Elsa, just have one night devoted to your enjoyment and the rest of your family. Please go down, and enjoy the party."

Anna did have a point, and Elsa knew it. Elsa looked at her sister, and smiled.

"Well," Elsa said, "I can't miss my own birthday party."

Anna smiled, and hugged her sister. This time, Elsa felt warm, and that made Anna happy. They held hands as they walked downstairs to the ballroom.

The guests clapped as they saw Elsa enter the room. Elsa smiled and waved at the guests, and walked gracefully to her chair. Anna rejoined with Kristoff, who put his arm over Anna's shoulder.

"You actually did it." Kristoff said.

"What'd you expect? Another eternal winter?" Anna asked.

"I was hoping that wouldn't happen."

Anna left Kristoff to talk to Elsa, and Kristoff started to socialize with the other guests. Elsa was in the middle of talking to other people when Anna walked up. The guests saw Anna, and knew that Anna wanted a private conversation. They bowed to Elsa, and walked off.

"Hope that wasn't important." Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "It was nothing." Elsa took a deep breath, and looked around. It felt good to be down here with the company of others. It gave her something else to think about besides Kai. "It's been quite a while." Elsa said.

Anna nodded. "For you. Can you smell it?"

"Smell what?"

"Your favorite sweet."

Elsa sniffed the air. She smelt the most pleasant aroma. "Chocolate." Elsa said.

Anna moved her hands from behind her back, and showed Elsa what was in her hand. Two small balls of decorated chocolates lay in Anna's hand. Elsa picked one up, and smelt it. It was ome of the only things that made Elsa happy in times like these. The sisters took a bite of their chocolates at the same time, and smiled at each other. They laughed when they saw the brown marks on each other's teeth.

"This is nice." Elsa said.

"We could'be had more days like this." Anna said.

Elsa's smile faded. Elsa doesn't like thinking about things that could've been. It always brings her painful memories. She would think about what could've been if their parents have not passed, what could've been if she didn't hurt Anna, and what could've been if she didn't isolate herself. Most importantly, she thought about what could've been if she didn't send Kai away.

Anna knew she was treading on thin ice.

"I'm sorry." Anna said. "It's just that it's best for you to be happy. Kai would'be wanted-"

"Do not mention Kai!" Elsa yelled. The entire room went silent, and they all looked at Elsa. Elsa ignored them. "You shouldn't be speaking for Kai, Anna! You didn't even know him as well as I did! You didn't seemed hurt when we found out he died! So, don't talk about what Kai would've wanted! You wouldn't know!"

Elsa looked around at the guests. Some had their hands covering they're open mouths. Others were just standing there silently, not knowing what to think about that. Kristoff stood there, with his eyes wide. Elsa looked at the floor below her, and found ice covering it. She didn't mind.

"He would've wanted us to be together..." Elsa whispered.

"Elsa..." Anna said quitely.

Elsa ignored her sister, and looked at the guard guarding the ballroom door.

"The party is over." Elsa told the guard. "Send the guests home, and close the gates for the rest of the night."

"Right away your majesty." the guard said.

Elsa started to walk to her room, but Anna grabbed Elsa's hand.

"Elsa, please..."

Elsa glared at Anna, and yanked her hand away. Elsa continued to walk off, and Anna didn't try to stop her. Anna stood there paralyzed, and Kristoff walked next to Anna to comfort her. Anna watched as the guests left, unsatisfied.

"We should say bye to leaving guests." Kristoff suggested.

Anna nodded, and they walked outside together.

When Elsa got to her bedroom, she changed into her sleepwear. She looked over at the door, and was sure Anna would come to see her later. She shot ice at the door, and it spread over the door. She sat on the bed, and grabbed Kai's picture. She looked at the way he smiled, and she smiled too. Then, Elsa reminded herself that she would never see him smile to her ever again. She put the picture back, and lay on her bed.

A tear ran down the side of her head before she closed her eyes to go to sleep.

* * *

A ship docked in Arendelle as the guests were leaving the party. The crew was unloading things off the boat as a black haired man walked off. The captain of the boat followed him.

"Thank you for letting me accompany you on your voyage." The black hair man said.

"No problem." said the captain. "You looked desperate to go. Why do you want to be here in Arendelle anyways, lad?"

The black haired man looked at Arendelle with his red eyes. He smiled. "I can't leave my job. I am Queen Elsa's Captain of the Guard after all."


	5. The Reunion

**Chapter V: The Reunion**

* * *

Kai looked up at the snowy sky on the docks. A snowflake fell on his nose, and he wiped it off. He looked down at his feet, and kicked the snow off the dock and into the ocean. Kai hoped it was the season of winter. He hoped that this wasn't Elsa's doing. He's been gone for so long, he almost forgot about home. He looked over at Arendelle castle. That's where he needed to go.

"Once again," Kai said to the captain of the ship, "you have my everlasting gratitude."

"Sir, I am the one that should be grateful. I've met Elsa's Captain of the Guard, and that's an honor higher than me." The captain said.

The two men nodded at each other, and they parted ways. Kai walked away, and off the dock. He left footprints in the snow where he walked. Kai was too excited to talk to Elsa once again. He couldn't wait to see his "family", or at least who he considered family. He's been gone for three long, painful months. Every night of those months, he dreamed of seeing Elsa. He remembered her face, and the warm smile she always gave him. Kai remembered Kristoff and Anna. He remembered Anna's curiousity that got her in trouble, and he remembered how he and Kristoff would hang out like best friends. He remembered the goofy Olaf and Sven, who always put a smile on his face.

Kai stopped in his tracks. He looked around him, and found the citizens of Arendelle. Some where looking at him, and whispering with each other. Others were just staring at him with bewilderness. Kai didn't want to attract that much attention this early. He needed to disguise his face for a short period of time, at least until he got to the castle. Kai pulled out his dagger, and used it to cut a piece of his upper clothing off. Kai still was wearing the same clothes he had three months ago. He didn't have a spare set of clothes with him. He even had his dagger still, but his sword was gone. Kai had lost so much in his last encounter with Deren.

Kai took the piece of clothing, and covered his mouth with it. He quickly walked away from his position and towards the castle. Luckily, less people started to recognize him, and that's exactly what Kai planned for. As he walked, Kai wondered what he was going to say to Elsa. _Hi honey, it's me Kai, you know, the guy who was missing for three months. I'm here now, so everything's alright._ Kai didn't know what Elsa was going to say. But, it didn't matter to him much now. At least he would see her, and that made him happy.

For some strange reason, the closer Kai walked to the castle, the colder it got. That wasn't a good sign, Kai thought. The more cold it got, the more Kai doubted that it was a natural winter, but he eventually convinced himself it was. There would be no way Elsa would cause another eternal winter. Kai crossed his arms and held them over his biceps to keep warm. Kai felt a sharp pain on his shoulder. He tried to ignore it, but he knew it would stay there for a long time. He was told not to stress it, or it would get worse. But, not stressing it would be near impossible. Kai was Kai, after all.

Kai stood in front of the stone bridge that led to Arendelle Castle. It's been a long time since he stepped on the bridge. He took a deep breath, and placed his left foot forward, over the bridge. He was ready. Kai stepped down, and walked the bridge. Kai saw many other people walk the opposite direction of him, and away from the castle. He noticed that the way they were clothed. They all wore elegant clothing: things people wore to parties or meetings. Then, Kai knew the occassion. How could he forget? It was Elsa's birthday. He marked his calender for this occassion many months prior. He felt bad that he couldn't get Elsa a present, but to Elsa, Kai himself was good enough. Kai couldn't believed he had missed her party.

Kai avoided eye contact with the leaving party guests. The look they had on their faces told Kai that they were not satisfied. Another bad sign. Kai didn't know what, but something happened at the party. Kai didn't like it, but he had to know what had happened. Not just that, he had to know everything. He had to know what happened all of those months he was gone. What had he missed? Kai was sure that whatever happened to Elsa and the others was much better than what had happened to him.

Kai stopped in front of the gate at the end of the bridge. The gate divided the bridge and the castle, and guests were walking out of the gate. Two guards stood at the gate, and Kai took a step forward. One of the guards held out his hand in front of Kai, and shook his head.

"The party is over." The guard said. "Queen Elsa ordered the gates be closed for the rest of the night. No exceptions."

"Really?" Kai said. "Not even for your boss?"

Kai took the fabric off of his head, and revealed his face. The guards gasped when they saw him.

"But, you're..." said one of the guards. "Dead..." finished the other.

"What?" Kai asked. It didn't matter now, though. He didn't care what they thought of him. All her cared about was getting to Elsa, and seeing her once again. She must've been worried sick, Kai thought. She was. Little did Kai know how distraught Elsa was when he "disappeared". He had to show her that he was alright, and that she must not worry about him anymore.

"Can I pass?" Kai asked the guards.

The guards closed their eyes, and bowed. They stepped out of the way for Kai to get through. Kai walked past the guards, and into the crowd of leaving guests. He found that he was in Arendelle's courtyard. Kai gently pushed some of the guests out of his way while he walked. Kai stopped dead in his tracks when he heard familiar voices near him. He heard Anna's voice say "Sorry about the party." Kai looked to see the origin of the voice, and saw Anna and Kristoff talking to leaving guests. Kai smiled, and stared at his friends. He walked towards them, and eventually got to them.

Anna's and Kristoff's eyes widened when they saw him. A tear soon ran down Anna's cheek. They were speechless seeing Kai. They were paralyzed with amazement.

"Kai..." Kristoff said.

Anna took a step forward and hugged Kai. Kai wasn't expecting it and was surprised, but Kai hugged her back. It's been so long since he's seen them. Anna was relieved and shocked. She couldn't believe that Kai was there.

"I thought you were dead." Anna said. She broke away from the hug, and more tears ran down her cheek. "We all thought you were dead."

"That's nice." Kai said sarcastically. Kai looked at Kristoff, and held out his hand, offering it for a shake. Kristoff, instead, hugged Kai tightly. Kristoff wouldn't let go, not even when Kai's face started to become blue. Kristoff was taller than Kai, so Kai's feet were dangling in the air. Kai appreciated the hug, but that appreciation would disappear when Kristoff hugged him to death. Anna couldn't help but laugh. When Anna saw how much Kai was struggling, Anna put her hand on Kristoff's shoulder, and he put Kai down.

"Ow..." Kai said, trying to regain his breath.

"How?" Kristoff asked.

"How what?" Kai asked.

"How're you alive? The sailors came back, and they said you didn't make it."

Kai looked down at his feet, and looked back at Kristoff. Kai didn't know how he survived, but he did. Against all odds, he survived and continued to live his days.

"I got lucky." Kai answered.

"What happened?" Anna asked. "Where were you all of these months?"

"I-" Kai was about to answer, but was interrupted. His cheek was licked by a familiar reindeer, and a familiar snowman was riding him. Sven had just licked Kai. Olaf jumped off of Sven's back, and into Kai's arms. Olaf hugged him, and Kai hugged him back.

"Kai!" Olaf exclaimed. "You're not dead!" He said cheerfully.

"Not today." Kai said. "I missed you guys."

"You look like a mess." Anna said.

It was true. Kai hadn't paid attention until now. He foudns that his hair was messy, and it was now shoulder length. Kai always kept it short, but he let it grow. He had a small black beard on his chin. He looked different, but it was still him.

Kai put Olaf down, and refocused his attention on Anna and Kristoff. "You want to know the story?" Kai asked them. The two desperately nodded. Kai took a deep breath, and told him everything that happened. It brought painful memories back to him, but he had to do it for their sake. They listened carefully to Kai's story. They couldn't believe the things Kai was saying. They couldn't believed how he survived, but he did. They couldn't believe that he had another run in with Deren. As he talked, the rest of the guests left, and the guards shut the gates. It would be the first time in a long time Elsa ordered the gates closed.

Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf were speechless. They couldn't comprehend the pain Kai went through. Olaf's jaw was dropped, and his mouth was wide open. Kai knew what they were thinking. They were pondering how he survived, and so was he. Kai gave himself a reason. Elsa would be furious if he died. He couldn't risk another eternal winter.

"Where's Elsa?" Kai asked.

"She's in her room, I think." Kristoff answered.

"Thanks. See you later." Kai said. As Kai walked off, Anna put her arm on his shoulder and he stopped walking.

"Kai..." Anna said. "It was her birthday party tonight. It was the first time she showed her face to the public in the past few months. Kai, when she thought you were dead, she isolated herself from everyone once again. The party didn't end well."

"What are you trying to say, Anna?" Kai asked.

"I'm trying to tell you that she's... different. She may not be the Elsa you know and love."

"I'll bring her back." Kai smiled, and with that he walked off, leaving Anna, Kristoff, Scen, and Olaf under the snowy night sky.

Kai stood in front of the doors that led into the main hall of the castle, and opened it up. The doors opened and Kai saw the main hall. It looked exactly the same as it did when Kai last saw it. He walked up the main set of stairs, and turned to a corridor. There, he saw Elsa's door to her room, and smiled.

She was so close now. Kai walked closer to the room, but started sprinting when he heard Elsa yelling. Kai turned the doorknob, but the door wouldn't open. The sounds of Elsa screaming pained him. He kicked the door, but it still wouldn't budge. Kai didn't know that ice kept the door shut.

Kai kept kicking the door. Elsa kept screaming. Kai shot a ball of fire at the door, but it didn't do that much damage. Kai kicked the door once more. Finally, with all of his might, Kai kicked the door, and it swung open.

Looking in, Kai saw Elsa grabbing her head with her eyes closed and screaming. Kai ran to her bed, and sat on it. Kai didn't think this was a good reunion, but it was something. Elsa kept screaming and kicking her legs. Kai grabbed Elsa's wrists, and held them downon the bed.

"Elsa!" Kai screamed.

Kai kept calling her name, but Elsa couldn't hear him. She was having a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. Elsa snapped out of it when she heard Kai yell her name once more. She stopped screaming, and opened her eyes slowly. She blinked when she saw him, and then her eyes widened.

Elsa pushed Kai away from the bed, and jumped off of the bed next to hands covered her mouth.

"Kai..." Elsa said. "Is that really you?" She talked as if she had just seen a ghost. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Kai nodded and smiled. "It's me, princess. And no, you're not dreaming."

Elsa took a step closer to Kai. She put her hand on his cheek, and a tear ran down her face. Kai was back, and now she got what she wanted for a long time. She was filled with joy and relief. She couldn't believe she had lost faith a while ago.

Elsa hugged Kai, and cried on his shoulder. Kai winced in pain, but he tried not to show it. Kai stroked her long hair as she hugged him. He was happy to be back home. He was happy to be back with Elsa. He had wanted nothing more. They had been through so much together, and they will continued to be together.

"I missed you." Kai told Elsa.

"Me too." She said in between a sob.

Kai looked at the door, and saw that it was still open. Kai broke away from their hug, and closed the door. He walked back to Elsa, and they continued their hug.

"Why were you screaming?" Kai asked.

"Bad dream." Elsa answered.

"Happy birthday." Kai said.

"You missed out." Elsa said.

"I bet I did."

Elsa had gotten the one thing she wished for the most. At least her birthday wasn't the worst this year. Then, Elsa remembered something. She remembered Kai was missing for three months, and she still didn't know what happened.

"Kai, where have you been?" Elsa asked.

Kai's smile faded. "I'll explain everything tomorrow." He said.

"Why not now? You owe me that much." Elsa asked.

"You need your rest." Kai answered.

"I have to know!" Elsa said. "You left me alone for three months. I thought you were dead. Now, you show up and expect everything to be alright? Kai, please tell me." Elsa asked.

"I will, Elsa. Tomorrow. You need rest, and so do I." Kai said.

It was true. Elsa was exhausted. She couldn't stand forcing herself to be awake. She crawled onto her bed, and looked at Kai who was leaving.

"Kai." Elsa requested his attention. Kai looked over at Elsa. "Please," she said. "stay with me tonight."

Kai knew she really wanted it. He didn't want to bother her any further, but he knew how Elsa felt. Kai wasn't prepared to sleep, but he had to make do with what he had. Kai got onto the bed next to Elsa, and she moved herself into his arms. He held her with warm hands, and she smiled. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her. Kai moved his head down to meet Elsa's lips, and she closed her eyes. They kissed passionately. It was their first kiss in a long time. It felt better than any other kiss they had.

They broke their kiss, and smiled at each other.

"I love you." Elsa said.

"Who doesn't?" Kai joked.

Elsa laughed. It was music to Kai's ears. Elsa hasn't laughed in the pass months, and now that she did, it felt good to her.

"I love you too princess." Kai told her.

"Queen..." Elsa corrected once again. Elsa missed the way he used to tease her like that. It was good to have him back.

With that, Elsa closed her eyes and fell asleep in Kai's arms.

* * *

When Elsa woke up, she didn't see Kai on her bed, neither could she see him in the room. She found that her door was opened slightly. She looked over at her window and saw the sun was out, though it wasn't that bright becuase of the snow. Elsa looked around her room and found it completely clean. Everything was neatly put away. Elsa knew that that was Kai's doing.

Elsa got out of bed, and put on her slippers. She creaked the door open, and looked peaked at both sides of the corridor. She couldn't find Kai. Elsa looked to the door next to hers, Kai's room, and saw that it was slightly opened. Elsa opened the door and found Kai inside, standing in front of the mirror.

Kai was wearing a new set of clothes; the clothes the Captain of the Guard usually wears. Kai had a dagger in his hand, and was cutting his hair. He cut through his long, thick hair until it looked like it did three months prior. Kai, with great and careful skill, cut off his small beard. Kai looked fresh, and looked the same as he did a long time ago.

Kai noticed Elsa standing in his doorway, and turned to her. Kai smiled and held out his arms, and she ran at him. Elsa tackled Kai with a hug, and Kai spun her around in the air. Elsa giggled, and that made Kai happy. Then, Elsa's smile started to fade, and Kai noticed it. He put her down, and they locked eyes. All was well for Elsa, but there some things that she just didn't understand.

"Kai..." Elsa said. "What happened?"

"Did you make a gravestone?" Kai asked, off of the topic.

"I asked you f-" Elsa was interrupted

"Did you make a gravestone." Kai asked, more seriously.

Elsa nodded. "It's outside of the castle. In the memorial where mine, and your parents' gravestones are."

Kai walked past her, and Elsa followed. Kai walked out of the room while Elsa tried talking to him, but he ignored her.

"I'll explain outside." Kai said.

Kai and Elsa walked through the castle, acknowledging the servants. They expected to see Anna and Kristoff, but they didn't cross paths. Elsa was wondering what was on Kai's mind. He promised to tell her everything, yet he chose to wait. She didn't want to question his actions, so she played along with Kai. They exited through the back of the castle, and entered the garden. From there, they walked past a gate, and into the memorial.

The site was a wide open area. In the middle, two large stone slabs stood. The slabs were a memorial to the old King and Queen of Arendelle; their lives were lost oversea on that fateful night. They walked past the slabs, and saw another three slabs behind them. The slabs were smaller, but significantly large for a gravestone. They were for Kai and his parents. Kai stood in front of his grave, and knelt down. Elsa knelt next to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. Kai put his hand over her hand, and rubbed it.

"We thought you were dead." Elsa said. "You didn't come back, so we wanted a way to remember you."

Kai stayed silent. He never thought that he would ever look at his gravestone. He didn't blame Elsa, though. He could see why they thought he was dead. He believed that it was his fault they thought this. He should've been stronger.

Kai stood up, and so did Elsa. He faced her, and held both of her hands in his. He looked her deeply in the eye.

"Do you want to know what happened?" Kai asked.

Elsa nodded.

Kai sighed, and took a deep breath. "Okay..."

* * *

Deren hung over the side of the bird's nest with a gun in his hand. The rain fell hard upon the ship. All of the ship's grew have left on the rowboats, except for the current captain, Phelps. Kai looked with wide eyes at Deren's gun as he climbed the mast up. Deren smiled, and pulled the trigger. The gun fired at Kai. Luckily, pistols weren't accurate, but they were accurate enough.

Kai felt a sudden pain on is shoulder, and let go of the mast. He fell many feet, and landed on the deck of the ship. Lightning flashed as he landed. Kai couldn't focus on anything but the pain. He didn't know how he survived the gunshot, and he didn't know how he survived the fall. His body persevered through the damage, but it was falling. Kai wailed and yelled in pain. Tears came out of Kai's eyes. This would be the first time in Kai's life that he'd cry from pain.

Kai put his hand over his shoulder, and then took it away. He looked at his hand and found that it was soaked in blood. Kai looked at his shoulder and found blood gushing out like a geyser. Smoke came out from the hole in his shoulder as well. Deren aimed his gun for Kai's head, but shot Kai in the shoulder. Deren missed his target, but he enjoyed seeing Kai in pain. Kai didn't realize how much his back hurt. The fall cracked a few bonce, but nothing major Kai thought. But, when Kai moved in pain, he felt a lot of it in his back.

Kai knew that he was losing blood fast. His shoulder was soaked in red. He had to stop the blood from coming out. He took his dagger, and put the blade in his hands. He summoned fire in his hands, and heated the blade. Kai used his other hand to hold the handle, and stopped the fire. The blade was now glowing orange. Kai took the side of the blade, and placed it over his wound. He screamed in agony as he cauterized the wound. When he took the blade away, his shoulder was still bleeding, but now as much.

"Captain!" yelled Phelps.

Kai turned his head and saw Phelps running to his aid. Phelps stopped when he saw Kai's shoulder. Phelps noticed the small pool of blood forming around his arm.

"Are you alright?" Phelps asked.

"I'm great." Kai said sarcastically, and in great pain. "Despite the fact that I have a metal ball in my shoulder!"

Kai managed a joke, even in this time. That was a quality that everyone liked about Kai. He always made things look bright, even when they were the darkest. It was one of the things Elsa loved most about Kai, and Kai knew it. She loved it, even when it got annoying. It gets annoying a lot.

Phelps tried to help Kai up, but he was in to much pain to move. Kai was determined to get up, though. Working through the pain, Kai stood up with the help of Phelps, and leaned on Phelps' shoulder. Kai could barely move his back. When he turned his spine, he winced in agony. Phelps helped Kai away from the mast, but Kai pushed Phelps away.

"You have to go!" Phelps yelled at Kai.

"No!" Kai said, then he grabbed his shoulder in pain. "Not yet..."

Kai looked up at the bird's nest, and saw Deren, smiling down at him.

"How's your shoulder?" Deren asked. Deren hoped Kai would die, but Deren enjoyed the sight of Kai in pain. To Deren, the face Kai made when he cauterized his wound was priceless. Deren wished that Kai would've experienced more pain. It was only fair to Deren. Kai scarred Deren, and he was just returning the favor.

"Give it up, Deren!" Kai yelled.

"I don't think so. You're in no position to make demands, Kai." Deren said. "You think you could just avoid my revenge. No, not my revenge. My _justice. _You had this coming, Kai."

"How?" Kai said confused.

"You asked for more than what you had! A man who asks for more, when he has everything, will lose everything! Ever heard that phrase?"

"How did I ask for more?"

"You had everything with us! You had whatever you could ever want with the Bandits. But, you still left. You still abandoned us. You ruined us. Now, you're living high up there in Arendelle Castle. Apparently, the Bandit life wasn't enough for you!"

"You were hurting people!"

"We were doing what was necessary! You were lucky with what you had." Deren screamed.

"What I _had?_ What I had were things stolen from people. Good people. Hardworking people."

"And you survived for 13 years with it!" Deren was angry, but then, he smiled. "Doesn't matter now. I'm going to come down there, and strike you where you stand. I'll be victorious!"

Deren grabbed his sword, and raised it in the air. Time stopped for Kai. Kai looked around him, and then at the sky. He saw sparks of blue above the clouds. A long time ago, Kai once heard that lightning was attracted to metal. Kai wasn't sure if it was scientifically accurate, but it didn't matter if it was or not. Kai looked at Deren's sword, shining in the rain. Kai's eyes widened when he saw a spark in the clouds, above Deren. A blue bolt of lightning came from the sky, and made contact with Deren's sword. Deren, unfortunately, didn't let go. Deren's body was shaking. Blue flashed from him. Thousands of volts of electricity was running through Deren's body.

Kai covered his eyes, but he still heard thunder. When the flashes cleared up, Kai and Phelps looked up at Deren. Deren had his eyes open. Smoke was coming out of his body. Deren dropped his sword, closed his eyes, and fell forward. Deren fell off of the bird's nest, and plummeted towards the ground. He landed with a loud thud. Kai watched in horror as his old friend lay lifeless on the deck.

Kai limped to Deren. Kai put his hand on Deren's chest, and took it away. Deren's body was exerting a lot of heat. Kai put his finger over Deren's open mouth, and didn't feel a breath. Kai couldn't hear a heartbeat either. Kai looked up at the sky, and yelled. He had lost a friend. Yes, Deren was a menace to Kai and Elsa, but Deren had done so much to help Kai in their younger days. Kai wouldn't mourn Deren, but he would remember him.

Phelps put his hand on Kai's undamaged shoulder. "We have to go!" Phelps said.

"Why the rush?!" Kai said angrily. Then, Kai smelt smoke. He looked over at the mast, and saw that it was on fire. The fire spread on the deck, and was inching closer to Kai and Phelps. Kai dragged Deren's body away from the fire, thinking it wasn't right to just let him burn. Kai dragged Deren's body up the stairs, and to the upper part of the deck. They didn't notice that the ship was sinking quickly until now.

Kai spotted the last rowboat, and ran to it. Kai turned around and found that Phelps wasn't behind him, but manning the wheel.

"Phelps!" Kai called for the attention of the captain. "We need to go."

Phelps let go of the wheel, and ran to Kai. Kai stepped onto the boat, and held his hand out for Phelps, wanting to help him on. Unfortunately for Kai, he was using the arm with the damaged shoulder, and Kai put his arm down. Phelps, instead of getting on the rowboat, grabbed Kai's sword strapped to his side. Phelps cut the rope that made the rowboat hang from the ship. The rowboat, with Kai in it, fell into the water. Phelps stuck his head over the side of the boat.

"A captain goes down with his ship." Phelps said. Then, Phelps walked away, and back to the wheel.

"You fool!" Kai yelled. Kai tried to climb back onto the boat, but he was in no condition to move much. "Good luck..." Kai whispered. Kai admired Phelps' bravery in the face of death, and respected the fact that this was how Phelps was going down. Kai grabbed the oars, and rowed away, onto the waves. Kai couldn't see any of the other rowboats. As Kai rowed away, he looked over at the Royal III go under the water. Phelps and Deren was in it. Kai closed his eyes, and mentally saluted Phelps.

Kai looked ahead of the rowboat, and his eyes widened when a large wave washed over the rowboat. Knocking the injured Kai off, and knocking him out. Kai's body was now being dragged by the waves, going where the sea willed him to.

* * *

Elsa's eyes were wide when Kai finished off his story. Kai let go of her hands, and looked back at his gravestone.

"I woke up in a small house." Kai said. "A bandage was around my shoulder. It hurt whenever I moved. An old woman and her son was taking care of me. They told me I was in a coma for a month. When I awoke, it took a month for me to recover. Then it took another for me to find someone to get me here."

Kai pulled down the collar of his shirt, and showed his right shoulder. A reddish-brown stain was located where he was shot on the bandages. Elsa placed her hand over the bandage, and Kai winced. It still hurt him. She immediately took her hand away. Kai covered his bandages, and looked down at his grave.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Elsa. I'm sorry you went through what you did." Kai said.

Elsa got closer to Kai, and placed her head on his left shoulder. Kai was there for her now, and that's all that mattered.

"It's okay..." Elsa said.

Then, they stood there looking at the gravestone. The past three months seemed like a bad dream to them now. They had nothing else to do but let it go.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay! Kai's not dead! There were two reasons why I "killed" him off earlier. First, I wanted to see how you guys reacted. It tells me how much you actually care for that character. Second, it would set the mood for the story, and have emotional impacts on the characters. I won't force you to write a review, but at this point in the story, comments would be appreciated. Ciao. PS: Longest chapter I've ever written.


	6. Back Home

**Chapter VI: Back Home **

* * *

Kai looked at his grave with Elsa next to him. His eyes focused intently on the carved words. Then, he looked around him. He looked at the other graves, and realized that no one was buried here. These graves were just memorials. Snow fell lightly over the grave, and over their heads.

Images started to flash in Kai's mind. He heard screaming in his mind, and the scene of fire. His eyes widened, not wanting to remember the pain. Kai fell to his knees, seeing the horrific images replaying themselves in his brain. He couldn't show it. The memory was too painful. Elsa knelt next to him, and looked at his eyes. She saw that they were empty, but at the same time, pulled with pain. There was something Kai wasn't telling her. That was something she had to know.

She put her hand on his back and rubbed it. Kai looked at Elsa with pained eyes. She looked closely at his, and saw flames burning in his red eyes.

"Kai..." Elsa said. "There's something your not telling me."

Kai stood up, and turned his back to Elsa. He held his hands together. How could he tell her, if he had trouble dealing with it himself? Kai didn't want to tell her, but he knew that she would be able to comfort him. Kai cleared his throat, and turned back to Elsa, not meeting her eyes.

"Remember the old lady and her son that took care of me?" Kai asked.

Elsa nodded.

The images started to flash in Kai's mind again. His eyes widened, and a single tear ran down his cheek.

"It was about a month since they found me. I wasn't fully well. It was a dark morning, and rain fell hard against the house." Kai said. Elsa listened patiently, and silently. "The son... he looked out the window, and told me to go out back. I offered to help with whatever was going on, but he insisted. I did as he asked. I took one look back, and found a bunch of goons beating the boy at the door. I tried to help, but the old lady stopped me. She told me to run, and I did. As I left the house, I could see the men set it on fire. I could've stopped them, but I let those two innocent people die!"

Kai fell to his knees, and started to sob. Elsa has never seen Kai break down like that. It hurt her on the inside. She couldn't bear seeing him so distressed. Elsa knelt next to Kai, and rubbed his back.

"It's not your fault..." Elsa said.

"It _is_ my fault! I let those who helped me survive die. I couldn't help them in return... I'm a coward." Kai barked.

Elsa stood up and turned her back. She couldn't believe the words Kai was saying to her. He stopped believing in himself when she didn't.

"The Kai I love is many things," Elsa said, "but he's not a coward!"

Kai looked up at Elsa. He couldn't act like this in front of her. Once, he gave her hope. What hope would she have if Kai didn't have any? Kai stood up, and put his hands on her shoulders. Elsa crossed her arms, and put her hands over his. She then let them go, turned around, and looked up at Kai. She hugged him, and he let it happen. He needed this. He hasn't felt this much affection in a long time. He missed the way Elsa would hug him. He missed the way Elsa would kiss him.

They stared at each other when they let go. Kai stopped crying, but Elsa's eyes were tearing up. Kai didn't know why she was crying, and neither did Elsa.

"It's not your fault." Elsa said. "There was nothing you could do."

"I could've helped them. I could've attacked them..."

"You were hurt!"

"That's not an excuse!"

Silence. They both didn't know what to say to each other afterwords. Elsa knew that Kai could've done something, but that may have not ended well for Kai. Kai didn't care, though. He owed those people, and he let them burn. Kai could never forgive himself for that. It was easy for Elsa to say it wasn't his fault. She had never experience this pain. That memory haunted Kai's dreams ever since.

"We should go..." Elsa said.

Kai looked down at his feet, and then looked at the castle.

"Yeah..." Kai said.

Kai walked off to the castle, and Elsa ran next to him. She held his hand, but he didn't grab hers. Elsa knew that Kai wasn't in the mood, but she had to find a way to cheer him up. As they walked, Elsa pondered how she would cheer Kai up. There weren't a lot of things that made him happy.

The two entered the castle without saying a word. They walked to the grand main hall, and Kai stopped. Elsa followed his example.

"What's the matter?" Elsa asked.

"I... I don't know what to do now." Kai said.

Kai usually had a plan. He usually knew what to do. Very little times has he found himself without the guidance of others. Elsa smiled. Kai needed her help. He had things to do, and Elsa was the one to give out those things. Eventually, Kai would have to go back to work as her Captain of the Guard, but Elsa decided it was best to give him a break.

Elsa grabbed Kai's hand, and led him to a room on the side of the main hall. Elsa opened up the door, and told Kai to walk in. There was nothing in the room but a portrait of Elsa's father with a sword displayed on a table in front of it. Kai walked in front of the table, and Elsa stood behind him.

"That was my dad's sword." Elsa told Kai. Elsa walked up and picked up the sword. Kai looked up at the picture of the old king. It depicted him at his coronation. "He left it here when he went on his trip." Elsa continued.

"Why did he go?" Kai asked.

"I don't know why, but I know that he went to Corona for some reason." Elsa replied. "Here." Elsa held the sword's handle in front of Kai. "Seeing as you lost your Captain's sword, you need a replacement."

Kai looked at the sword. "I can't accept this."

"Please. He won't need it, and you do. Kai, I insist."

Kai understood that this was important to Elsa. He couldn't let her down. Not again. Kai took a deep breath and took the sword. Elsa stood back while Kai spun it around. He imitated hitting someone with it. The sword was lighter than his old one, but he ignored that fact. He strapped it to his waist, and thanked Elsa.

"Do you remember that cafe we usually go to in the afternoon during summer?" Elsa asked.

Kai smiled. "How could I forget?"

"Why don't we stop by there really quick?"

"It's not summer time." Kai joked.

Elsa held onto Kai's arm, and they walked out of the room to the grand door that led to the courtyard. Elsa felt proud of herself. She was able to put a smile on Kai's face. Things looked bright for them today. Kai smiled and looked at Elsa as he opened the door. When he opened the door, they were deafened by the sound of clapping. In the courtyard, many people stood there clapping their hands together at the sight of Kai and Elsa. Colorful banners hung around the courtyard. Tables filled with food were around the courtyard. Musicians played in a corner. Olaf was with a few children, teaching them how to build a snowman. Kristoff stood at the front of the crowd, smiling.

"What is this?" Kai asked Elsa.

"A party." Elsa answered.

"Did you set this up?" Kai asked.

"No." said Anna's voice behind them. They turned around and saw Anna smiling behind them. "I did."

Elsa hugged Anna. It felt good for Anna to have her sister back. She longed for affection from her sister ever since she isolated herself once again. Elsa was glad that she could return to her old self again. Anna let go of the hug, and smiled at the couple.

"How're you guys enjoying each other's company?" Anna asked.

Elsa put her head on Kai's undamaged shoulder. "Good to have him back." Elsa said.

Anna walked past the couple, and stood in front of the crowd. She raised her hand in the air, and they became silent. Anan spoke to them in a loud voice. "Today, we celebrate the return of Captain Kai!" The crowd cheered, and clapped. Anna walked down the short few steps to the courtyard, and hugged Kristoff. Kai and Elsa followed Anna down.

Kristoff kissed Anna's cheek, and smiled. "Quite a party we threw, huh." Kristoff said.

Anna smirked. "Kai won't come back uncelebrated."

The couples looked at each other, and the sister smiled at each other. If only their parents could see them now. As a child, Elsa didn't think she'd ever find love, and as a child, that's what Anna dreamed about. But, both were now happy.

"I better socialize with some guests." Kai told Elsa. Elsa nodded, and pecked his lips. Kai walked off, leaving the three alone. Kai walked to a group of civilians, and started talking. They talked about unimportant things, and that bored Kai to death. But, he knew it was professional for him to socialize with them, and it would make him look better with Elsa.

Anna looked at Kristoff. "Where's Sven?" Anna asked.

Kristoff pointed to one of the food tables. The girls looked over at it and saw that it was a huge mess. Food was scattered everywhere on and off the table. The plates were broken, and the guests stood a few feet back from it. Sven was running around the table, eating whatever he liked. Who knew what the limits to his appetite were.

Kristoff covered his face with his hands, embarrassed with his friend. Anna and Elsa were laughing at the mess. Sven amused them so much, and they never got sick of it. Then, they looked over at Olaf who was flirting with a female snowman the children made for him. The snow woman wasn't alive like Olaf, but that didn't stop Olaf from chatting her up.

The three walked up to Olaf, and he looked up at them.

"Hi guys!" Olaf exclaimed.

Elsa patted Olaf's head, and he chuckled. "Hey Olaf. Who's your little friend?" Elsa asked.

"This is Olafa!" Olaf answered.

"So original." Kristoff whispered in Anna's ear. Anna punched Kristoff's arm, and he yelped in pain.

"Be nice." Anna ordered.

Elsa twirled her fingers over Olafa, and they watched in awe as magic spread over the snow woman. Olaf gasped as he saw Elsa work her magic. Olafa's black eyes started to look more like eyes. Eye lashes popped out over Olafa's eyes. Soon, Olafa turned her head to look at Olaf.

Olafa hugged Olaf, and Olaf was paralyzed. His crush was showing affection to him.

"H... Hi... Hi Olafa..." Olaf said.

Olafa blinked, and smiled. She didn't talk at all, but she held Olaf's stick hands. If snowmen could blush, Olaf would be doing it right now. Olafa led Olaf away, and he followed star struck.

"Awww..." Anna and Elsa said at the same time. They adored the new couple. The three watched Olaf and Olafa play with thick, colorful sticks. Olafa held the stick as Olaf connected it to another part.

"Aren't those the fireworks?" Kristoff asked. Anna and Elsa ignored him. They were too busy looking at the cute couple.

Olaf took off his arm, and scraped it on a small peace of stone on the ground. The peace wasn't covered by sand. Fire was on his stick arm, and Olaf lit the firework while Olafa was still holding it.

"Uh-oh." Kristoff said.

The firework shot into the air with Olafa. When it was high enough, the firework exploded. Dozens of colors flashed in the sky, and popping sounds were heard. Everyone in the courtyard looked up at the spectacular sight. Kai looked up in awe at the show of color. Soon, the fireworks stopped, and Olafa was no where to be found.

"Awww..." Anna and Elsa said in disappointment.

Olaf waddled to the trio with a smile on his face. Then, Olaf immediately broke into frozen tears.

"Can you make another one?" Olaf asked Elsa while crying.

"Uhh..." Elsa said, unsure. She didn't want to let Olaf down, but she didn't trust him with another woman. It would end up just as bad as this one did. "I gotta go." Elsa told Olaf. Elsa walked away, and walked towards Kai.

The people Kai was talking to were aware of Elsa's presence, and they assumed she wanted to talk to him privately. They bowed to Kai, and walked away. Kai turned to see Elsa, and smiled at her. He spun her around and hugged her. She giggled and kiss Kai's cheek. Then, she saw Kai grab his right shoulder, and wince. Kai was still in pain, and he tried not to show it.

"How's your arm?" Elsa asked.

"Still a pain to move it." Kai answered. "But, I'll manage. I've experience worst pains."

That wasn't true. For those months, Kai was in the worst pain in his life. He's never been shot with a bullet before Deren, and he assumed that it wasn't something he wanted to experience. Well, there's a first time for everything.

"Enjoying the party?" Elsa asked.

"I'm having a swell time, despite the fact that I'm stuck talking about politics with these people, and I haven't even tried the food. Plus, I could've sworn I saw Olaf fly up with the fireworks." Kai answered

"Don't worry about it." Elsa said.

Kai rubbed his arms, and took a deep breath. He was able to see his breath. Elsa could never see her breath since her body had a natural resistance to cold. Kai usually did too, but Kai's body was currently weak.

"Wish I brought a jacket." Kai said.

"I bet." Kristoff's voice said. Anna and Kristoff walked next to them, and the sisters hugged. KaI looked at Kristoff in envy. Kristoff wore his ice mining outfit, and he stayed nice and warm.

"Lucky..." Kai said.

Kristoff laughed, and friendly smacked Kai's back. Kai winced in pain. His back was still sore from his fall, and Kai showed it on his face. Kristoff's smile faded.

"I'm sorry, Kai." Kristoff said.

"It's alright." Kai said.

Elsa looked at Anna with a saddened face. "Anna... I'm sorry." Elsa said.

"For what?" Anna asked confused.

"For last night. I was out of line. I was too harsh. I was-"

"You don't owe me an apology." Anna smiled. "I understand. You were upset, and distraught. We've all been there. Let's just forger about it, okay?"

Elsa smiled, and hugged her sister once more. This time, she kissed her on the cheek. Elsa's kiss was warm. Usually, they felt cold to Anna.

Then, the group looked at the center of the courtyard. Around the fountain, the crowed made a big circle. A few party goers walking into the circle and started to dance. Olaf joined them and started to dance with some children. He seemed unfazed by the whole Olafa incident. It was nice to see him smile again. The kids took Olaf apart and started to dance with his individual pieces. For some reason, Olaf enjoyed it.

Anna grabbed Kristoff's hands and ran to the dance area. He almost tripped, but he ran behind her, smiling. Together, they danced to a fast paced song while Kai and Elsa watched. Anna and Kristoff were having the time of their life. They did so many dance moves, and many of them were hard to keep track of.

Kai and Elsa stood at the front of the crowd, and watched in awe. They couldn't believe Anna's enthusiasm, yet, they did. This was expected of Anna. Soon, the music slowed down, and the mood changed. The music became a love song. Couples in the crowd walked onto the dance floor, and did a slow dance, hand in hand. Kai held his hand out in front of Elsa.

"That's sweet of you," Elsa said, "only I don't dance."

"Neither do I." Kai smiled.

That made Elsa feel better. They would improvise this together. Elsa took Kai's hand, and he led her onto the dance area. No one in the dance area seemed to care about the snow on the ground. As they danced, facing each other, Elsa put her head on Kai's shoulder.

"I missed these days." Elsa said.

"Me too." Kai said.

They could remember the first time the danced together. It was on the soon to be The Royal III's deck, on their way to Teranhall. Olaf played the violin as they danced. After the dance, they had their first kiss. It was one of Elsa's fondest memories, and one of Kai's as well. They had learned so much on their adventure together, and most importantly, they learned about their feelings toward each other.

Then, Elsa let go of Kai. She turned around in a full circle to look at everybody.

"Anyone want to go skating?" Elsa asked the crowd.

The crowd cheered to the idea. Elsa stomped on the ground, and ice spread over the ground. The snow that once covered it disappeared. Then, from the ice, ice skates formed under everyone's feet. Soon enough, people started to skate around Elsa's little rink. Anna and Kristoff danced with each other as they skated. Olaf slid around like a penguin.

Elsa looked at Kai who had his arms sticking out to his sides, struggling to keep his balance.

"This is nice and all, but I can't skate." Kai said.

Elsa grabbed Kai's hands, and dragged him along with her. She held one of his hands while she skated. He tried so hard to keep his balance while she enjoyed the rink. He was always under the danger of falling. Elsa saw Kai's struggle, and dragged him to an area without ice. Kai stomped his feet on the ground, breaking his skates.

"Let's not do that again please." Kai suggested.

Elsa laughed at Kai. Kai couldn't believe she found this funny. He obviously doesn't. He doesn't skate very well, and he didn't understand how he was able to slide down one of Elsa's ice slides one time. He guessed he got lucky.

Kai looked to see that they were next to an open gate. The gate opened up to the stone bridge that led to the rest of Arendelle. Kai and Elsa held hands and walked on the bridge. They looked at their reflections in the water. The fjord wasn't frozen, but it was icy water, and it was thick.

"How about that cafe?" Kai smiled.

They walked together through the city. They acknowledged those who stopped to say hi. People stopped in their tracks when they saw Elsa. They haven't seen Elsa in public for a long time. Her presence surprised them, and Elsa knew it. She was amused by the expressions on their faces. Some men drooled when they saw Elsa. They thought she was the most beautiful thing they've ever seen. Kai noticed this. He held his hand out and created a fireball whenever he saw men do this. They would yelp and walk away.

As they walked, Kai told Elsa about his meeting with the kingdom. She was glad to hear that they would continue business with Arendelle. Arendelle would need all of the help it could get. It already has made enemies with a few other countries.

They soon came across the cafe, and the waiter there greeted them as friends. They took their usual seats, and ordered what they always did; Kai ordered coffee, and Elsa ordered tea. They relaxed as they enjoyed their drinks.

"This is nice." Kai said.

"Yeah." Elsa agreed.

"Now, we just need some icing on the cake." Kai said.

Elsa knew what Kai meant. Kai leaned forward, and closed his eyes. Elsa leaned forward to kiss his lips, but before their lips touched, someone interrupted them.

"Milady." A guard said.

They looked to the side of their table, and saw a castle guard standing there.

"What do you want?" Kai asked.

The guard pulled a letter out of his coat pocket, and gave it to Elsa. The guard walked off while Elsa opened the letter. Elsa's eyes widened when she read it. After a minute, Elsa dropped the letter on the ground and stood up. She walked away from the cafe, and Kai watched confused. Kai picked up the letter, and read it. His eyes also widened.

_Dear Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_You have been accused of being responsible for the eternal winter many months back at Teranhall. A war council, hosted by the Southern Isles, was held. The executive decision was based on you being a threat. Misunderstood or not, you have been considered dangerous by the majority of the kingdoms. The kingdoms, purely looking out for their own safety, have agreed to support a war effort on Arendelle behind the name of the Southern Isles. We are sorry to inform you that war has been declared on the country of Arendelle. You still have the right to request a peace council hosted by your own kingdom. Best regards._

_From, The Kingdom of the Southern Isles_


	7. Requesting Peace

**Chapter VII: Requesting Peace**

* * *

Kai dropped the letter from his hands. It slowly fell to the ground, and the wind then blew it away. He was paralyzed, and his eyes were wide open. His jaw was slightly dropped. He was in shock. He couldn't believe that this was happening to Arendelle. By the look on Elsa's face, this is harder on her than it is for him. Both of them were in shock and so will the rest of Arendelle when they heard the news. Kai felt sorry for Elsa as he saw her walk off. Kai didn't know what Elsa was going to do, but he knew that he had to keep an eye on her... for everyone's sake.

For Elsa, the timing for this news was horrible. After three months of depression and mourning, she had a short period of happiness when Kai returned. But, hearing this news, the bit of happiness she gained was washed away. This would be the first time in quite a while that war would be declared on Arendelle. Arendelle has been in a long period of peace for the last few generations, and now, the Southern Isles was going to ruin this streak of peace. Elsa thought that Arendelle and the Southern Isles had a close relationship, but then, she remembered one name; Hans.

For some reason, Elsa knew that Hans was responsible. But, she didn't know how he could be. She assumed that he was jailed when he returned to his country, but as it seems, that's not the case. Elsa kept asking herself questions in her head. Did Hans' father drop his charges? Did her convince his father to declare war? Then, Elsa remembered more details in the letter. It said that many other kingdoms will support the war effort. Hans didn't just convince his father. He convinced many of the monarchs from the other countries. Arendelle didn't have many countries they could consider as "friends", and that would be their downfall.

Elsa remembered King Lyre. Teranhall become one of the most powerful countries after their little skirmish. Surely King Lyre was invited to the war council. If Teranhall supported the war effort, Lyre has betrayed Elsa's trust. Elsa had to prevent this war or else Arendelle will be reduced to rubble. Arendelle had a very weak military, and an almost non-existent navy. Their military strength was very low because Elsa had not expected war during her rule. Elsa knew about the Southern Isles' military. It had the strongest army across the seas and a navy with equal strength. Arendelle had no chance against the Southern Isles alone, much less the other kingdoms.

Kai got out of his chair in the cafe and ran after Elsa. As he ran, his back pain started to act up again. He was in no shape for physical activities, but he couldn't show it. He didn't want Elsa to baby him. He especially didn't want Elsa to worry about him with everything she has on her plate. Kai caught up to Elsa, and walked side by side with her.

"Elsa..." he said.

She ignored him. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to acknowledge him. Kai studied her face to see what she was thinking about. He saw anger in her eyes, and at the same time, he saw worry. Kai, too, knew that Arendelle had no chance of victory in this war. He also knew how it was going to go down. He's noticed some of Elsa's military strategies when she practiced them. She would focus on defending the city rather than attacking. That plan was the best Elsa had, and it was a great plan to get them all killed.

Kai was just as worried as Elsa. He knew the stress that this would bring to both of them. As Captain of the Guard, Kai would also serve as head of Elsa's military. Kai would be the one helping Elsa make battle plans. Kai was more of a fighter than a planner. He would rather go with some troops and fight on the field than tell troops to fight for him while he was under the safety of a castle.

Both Kai and Elsa knew that this was going to be the end for Arendelle if they didn't do something about it. Elsa wondered how Anna was going to react. Anna was too innocent. She had never seen war and she never felt the pain it brought. Then again, no one did. Not even Elsa. They couldn't understand the horrors people would face in war, neither did they want to. Even Kai, after all hes been through, as never experienced war. He knew that he would have to be prepared if that time ever came, but he was never prepared. Neither was Elsa.

The two couldn't bare seeing the people of Arendelle get hurt. Elsa realized that this was her fault. The letter stated that she was a danger to the other kingdoms. How can Elsa sleep at night knowing that the good people of Arendelle will suffer because of her. She didn't know how she was going to break it to them, but she knew that the time will come that she'll have to. Elsa looked to her side and saw Kai walking next to her. She smiled knowing that she won't be alone.

Elsa had to stop this war. As Queen, it's her job to protect her citizens and make them happy. But, Elsa refused to waste lives sending her soldiers to their certain death. She had to find a peaceful solution to their current... predicament.

"What're we going to do, Elsa?" Kai asked.

"I know what we have to do. But, I'll tell you later. I feel that Anna and Kristoff need to be there when I do."

Kai nodded. The two walked back to the castle. They ignored the people who tried to greet them. They seemed a bit rude, but they didn't have time to waste. They were in a rush to get to Anna and Kristoff. This urgent news was their priority. As they walked, Elsa was thinking about how she was going to break it down to her sister. She was worried about Anna's reaction. They knew that Kristoff would take the news calmly, and that Olaf didn't even know what the word "war" was. But, Anna was a wildcard.

Kai surprised about how well Elsa was taking the news. She was acting very calmly about this. Kai was worried. Did she not care, or did she not want to break down in public? Either way, Elsa had to deal with the upcoming war.

When they reached the stone bridge to the castle, they saw that a few guests were already leaving. They walked across the bridge, once again ignoring the leaving guests. The opened the gate to find Anna and Kristoff socializing with other guests. They looked around and found a fair amount of guests still enjoying themselves. They didn't need to cause a panic for the guests, so their conversation needed to be private.

Elsa and Kai walked up to Anna and Kristoff who were in the middle of talking about snowmen. Elsa had to end the conversation now, but she didn't want to end her sister's good time. Elsa owed her that much. But, Kai was different. This was urgent, and telling Anna this news was more important than letting her enjoy herself.

"Please excuse us." Kai told the guests. The guests looked at Kai, confused. Then, Kai glared at them with eyes that told them he was ordering them to. The guests quickly walked away, leaving Kai, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff alone.

"What's your problem?" Anna asked Kai.

Kai didn't answer.

"We need to get inside," Elsa said, "now."

Elsa grabbed Anna's hand, and walked to the main doors that led into the castle. Kristoff and Kai followed them. Anna felt the coldness in Elsa's hands, and she knew that her emotions were acting up again. The one thing Elsa couldn't control was her body temperature and the temperature of the area around her. It always varied according to Elsa's emotions. Whenever she had negative emotions, Elsa's body would get cold and so would the area around her. If Elsa had positive emotions, her body would get warmer, but, the area around her would stay it's natural temperature. Kai was slightly different. Kai's body temperature reflected his health.

Guards opened the main doors to the castle and the four of them walked in. Elsa led them upstairs and into a lounge like room that was unlit. Elsa motioned for Kai to light it up, and Kai shot a spark of fire at the fireplace. The room was illuminated and it got warmer. Elsa sat Anna down on a couch, and Elsa sat next to her. Kristoff sat on a couch meant for one person, and Kai stood up, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"What's going on?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa looked at Kai. She wanted Kai's approval to tell them. Kai nodded, and motioned her to start telling. Elsa took a deep breath, and readied herself to tell Anna the news.

"I received a letter." Elsa said. "Addressed to me. It was from the Southern Isles."

"Isn't that where Hans is from?" Anna asked. Elsa nodded. "Hans... that sick, twisted, demented, side-burned, heartless animal?"

"Yes," Elsa said, "that one. The letter spoke of a war council hosted by the Southern Isles. Most of who attended the war council agreed to..."

Elsa sniffed. Her eyes began to water. She couldn't go through with telling Anna. It pained her to even think about it, and it was the only thing Elsa could ever think about now. It seemed like a nightmare. The destruction of Arendelle was nearing, and it was Elsa's fault. As a child, she wished that she didn't have powers. Later, she was glad she had them. Now, she had her old mentality. It was her powers that brought this upon Arendelle. She couldn't look her sister in the eye and tell her that. Kai saw that she was struggling, and so he continued for her.

"War has been declared on Arendelle." Kai said, straightforward.

Both Anna's and Kristoff's eyes widened. They were just as shocked as Kai and Elsa. They couldn't believe this was happening. It's been such a long time since war was declared. Elsa thought she was foolish that she couldn't see it coming. Arendelle was not prepared.

"They said I..." Elsa said. "They said I was too much of a threat, and that they're just looking out for the safety of their own kingdoms."

"You're not dangerous, neither are you a threat." Anna said.

"Two kingdoms have been put into eternal winter because of my powers!" Elsa said.

"It wasn't your fault for either of them." Kristoff said.

It was true. It wasn't Elsa's fault Arendelle suffered an eternal winter. Anna was the one who unintentionally pushed Elsa into creating the winter. It wasn't Elsa's fault for Teranhall's eternal winter as well. King Lyre used the Conduit to steal her powers and use them for his own selfish plan. Elsa didn't respond to Kristoff. She knew he was right.

Suddenly, Anna broke down crying. She was taking it harder than Elsa. Her beloved kingdom was on the brink of destruction, and she didn't know what she could do about it. Anna was scared, not for her life, but for the lives of the others of Arendelle. Elsa rubbed Anna's back as she sobbed. Kristoff stood up, and held Anna's hand. He knelt down, and hugged her while she was on the couch. Kai kept his distance. He wasn't good with showing this type of affection.

Anna's tears died down, but she was still crying on the inside.

"What're we going to do?" Anna asked Elsa.

Elsa had a plan that she hadn't told anyone yet. This plan could and could not work. It could go either way. She prayed that it will work.

"The letter said I can request a peace council." Elsa said. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

Ancient rules stated that countries on the brink of war can negotiate peace through a peace council. It was considered treason within all countries to refuse to go to a peace council. Elsa had never been in a peace council before, and she didn't exactly know how it would work or what she should say, but she knew one thing; the peace council will be Arendelle's only hope.

"Won't the hosting country be Arendelle?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa nodded. "They may not like the idea of visiting an enemy country, but they have no choice."

"What're we going to tell them?" Anna asked.

Elsa smiled, and stroked Anna's hair. She was giving her sister hope, and that's what lifted up Elsa's spirits. She felt that as long as she had her sister, she would be alright.

"Don't worry, Anna." Elsa said. "You leave that to me and Kai."

"But I wanna help!" Anna said.

"Tell you what." Kai said. He stopped leaning on the wall, and knelt next to Anna. "The people out there are still in the dark about this. You're obviously more... How should I say this? More charismatic than everyone else in this room, no offense guys."

"None taken." Elsa and Kristoff said.

"Anna," Kai continued, "can you go out and tell them about our... situation."

Anna nodded. She didn't want to do it, but if that's what was required of her, she would do it for Arendelle. She wished she had a bigger role to play.

"Elsa," Anna said. "can I be apart of the council?"

Elsa's eyes gave off a disappointed look. "Sorry, Anna. But, I don't think you'll get the politics. It's best that you just stay out of it and look pretty."

Anna looked down at her feet. Elsa refused her request, and that disappointed Anna. She wouldn't get the role she wanted. Come to think of it, she never got the role she wanted. Elsa never let Anna deal with things like these. Elsa always shuts Anna away from it. Anna didn't know why, but it seems as if Elsa doesn't want Anna to learn it. In truth, Elsa didn't believe Anna was able to talk politics, and that's why she shelters her from it.

Anna stood up, and walked out. Kristoff followed her out, and took one last glance at Elsa before he shut the door.

"She's smarter than you think." Kristoff told Elsa. Then, Kristoff shut the door behind him, leaving Kai and Elsa alone in the room.

Elsa stood up at walked toward the window. She opened it up and looked down. From there, she could see the courtyard and the guests in it. She hated to ruin the day for them, but it had to be done. It was morning time, and bad news already came in.

Anna walked through the main hall and opened the grand door that led to the courtyard. The guests clapped as Anna showed her face. Anna didn't acknowledge the praise. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The crowd's clapping died, and they were all ears for Anna. Anna opened her eyes, and prepared to tell the news.

"Word has just come it that the Southern Isles has declared war on Arendelle." Anna said.

Whispers came from the crowd. What? How? Why? Those were some of the questions that Anna heard. Suddenly, a roar of yelling came from the crowd. They raised their fists in the air, and yelled angrily.

Well, Anna thought, this escalated quickly.

Elsa and Kai watched from afar the chaos that was ensuing. Anna had to stop it fast, but she wasn't good with crowd control.

"Silence!" Kristoff yelled. It echoed across the courtyard. It woke up some of the sleeping guards, and silenced the crowd. Kristoff smiled, proud of his accomplishment. Anna was jealous. Why could she not be able to do that? But, it was one of the gifts Kristoff had that Anna loved.

"Now is no time to cause a panic." Anna said.

"Of course it is!" Said someone in the crowd.

"We're going to die!" Said another.

"We are not..." Anna said. "Queen Elsa will request a peace council with the nations that support this war effort."

"What then?" asked a guest.

"Then," Anna said, "hopefully the Queen and the Captain of the Guard will convince them to not kill us."

"What if they don't? What if they can't?" asked a guest.

Anna didn't have an answer. It couldn't come to that. They had to make sure it didn't come to that. All hope will be lost it it did. Anna hoped that Elsa and Kai will do everything in their power to stop the coming bloodshed. They had to stop the coming storm. There was no Plan B. This was their only hope, and their only chance.

"It won't come to that." Anna assured the crowd. Anna grabbed Kristoff's hand and walked back into the castle, locking the doors behind them. They could hear the shouting coming from behind the door. It was obvious that the party was over. She hoped that the guards could control the crowd.

Anna looked at a guard standing in the main hall. "Send the guests home, please." Anna ordered him. The guard nodded, and walked out to do his job.

Elsa and Kai watched as the guests left the courtyard one by one. Kai held onto Elsa's hand, and she looked at him. He gave her a assuring look, and smiled.

"It's going to be alright." Kai told Elsa.

Elsa wasn't sure of that. She never dealt with war politics before, and she wasn't prepared to deal with them now. All that was on her mind was saving her kingdom. This news overshadowed Kai's return, but, she was glad that he was at her side. Elsa hugged Kai.

"I hope you're right..." Elsa said.

Kai broke the hug and walked away.

"Come on, Elsa." He said. "We have to send a letter to a lot of countries."

* * *

It took about a week for all of the invited countries to receive the letter from Arendelle. It was their duty to send a representative down to Arendelle to attend the peace council.

The King of the Southern Isles sat on his throne. In front of him were all thirteen of his sons, ordered from youngest to oldest. They all stood with their arms behind their backs. The King held a letter in his hand from Arendelle. The King stood up from his throne.

"In my old age," the King said, "I can no longer travel. That is why twelve of you shall do it for me."

There were whispers between the brothers. They didn't know what their father was talking about, or the reason they stood there.

The King continued to talk. "Arendelle has requested a peace council, and we have to go."

"We must we all go?" asked one of the brothers. "This is Hans' crusade, not ours."

Talk broke out among the brothers. It was true though. Only Hans wanted this war, and the King helped him with it. War was declared without any of the brothers' consent. They resented Hans for doing this behind their backs.

"All but one do you will go." The King said. "Ander shall stay here and help me run the kingdom."

"Of course your favorite child gets the comfort of our castle." said one of the King's younger sons.

Many of his children resented Ander. Ander was without a doubt the kings favorite child. The King spent hours a day teaching him everything he knew about being a King. Ander was heir to the throne, and thats what made many of them jealous.

"Ander shall stay because he knows much about war politics already. Plus, he knows more about running a kingdom than any of you." The King said. "You all, except maybe for Christian, are weak with politics. This will be a good training experience for you."

Many of them silently got angry. They didn't need nor want training. But, as they've always been told, their father knew what was best for them. Yet, they were still angry at him. The King ignored many of his children when the Queen passed. They were jealous of Hans. The King now had all the time in the world for Hans since he committed a few crimes. But, the King had no time for the children who respect authority.

Christian knew why he was going. He needed to help guide his kin in politics.

"Our top representative will be Hans." The King said.

That was controversial to them. The brothers spoke out loudly, and resented the King's decision. No one thought this was a good idea, except for Hans of course. They didn't understand the King's decision. They assumed that Christian would be the top representative, but that's not the case. Christian was the most shocked for this decision.

The King held up his hand, and the brothers stopped talking. "This war was Hans' idea, so, he must be the one to back it up the most." The King said. "If he shall fail, if the war will be canceled, it will be on his hands."

This gave the brothers more hope. No one supported the war in Hans' family, and that would be his downfall. They had to make sure Hans lost during the council, then everything would be alright.

"You leave the night before the council. You should arrive in Arendelle shortly before the council begins. Dismissed!"

The brothers spread and went back to their rooms. Everyone left unsatisfied except for Hans. Christian hoped that his father knew what he was doing. But, once again, he trusted his father's decision. But, he had to do whatever he could in his power to stop this war. They had no quarrel with Arendelle, and they're going to war over ice powers. That was ridiculous by the brothers.

Ander didn't trust not being there to watch over Hans. He always had his suspicions on his brother ever since he returned. But, Hans had a passion for this war, and Ander respected passion, no matter who it may come from.

Hans walked back to his while thinking about what he was going to say. He knew that his brothers would go against him, but that didn't matter. He would get his war no matter what. He made sure of it.

Hans opened the door to his room and closed it behind him.

"It's all coming together. Thank you, father, for this opportunity. Elsa and Anna won'to know what hit them. Mwahahahaha!"

Hans heard a knock on his door, and stopped laughing. Hans opened his door and stuck his head out. He saw one of his brothers standing before him.

"Are you alright?" asked the brother. "I thought I heard maniacal laughter."

"No, you didn't." Hans lied. "It must've been the wind."

The brother looked around the hallway and found no windows. He looked back at Hans skeptically. Then, he shrugged.

"Okay." said the brother.

He walked away, and Hans closed the door. Hans out his ear on the door until he could no longer hear footsteps. Then, Hans continued to maniacally laugh. His laughs soon turned to coughs.

"I gotta work on that." Hans said.

* * *

Author's Note: At this point, this is where the story is going to kick up, and we'll dive deeper into the main plot. How'd you guys like the story so far? I'd love to know! Ciao.


	8. What Could Go Wrong?

**Chapter VIII: What Could Go Wrong?**

* * *

The ship rocked slightly as it sailed across the sea. It was eerily silent, and no one spoke a word both on or below deck. The only noise that could be heard was the sound the water splashing against the side of the ship. No one was off duty. All of the crew were doing their assigned jobs and were told to not screw it up. This trip was important, and it was probably the most important journey in the crew's entire life so far. Important people were on the ship. Royalty.

The King of Corona stood at the tip of the ship, looking ahead of them. The foggy air made it hard to see anything, and the winds blew hard. Frosts came out of his breath, and he rubbed his hands together. He had never experienced this much cold during winter, and he couldn't even perceive how cold it must have been in Arendelle. He wondered if this was Elsa's doing. He had never firsthand experienced her powers. He's only heard stories, and apparently, stories were all that was needed to start a war.

He was on his way to Arendelle to attend the peace council. They were almost there, and it would start in a few hours.

"Dad..." said a voice behind the King. The King turned to see his daughter, Rapunzel, standing behind him. Her hair was longer than it was a few years prior when he was reunited with her. She now had shoulder length brown hair. She wore a pink dress, similar to the one she usually wore, but not quite the same.

"Rapunzel." The King acknowledged her presence.

"I want to know something." Rapunzel said.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you bring me along to this trip?" Rapunzel asked.

"Because," the King said, "I want you to learn the politics involved. Plus, you know the Queen and Princess more than anyone else in Corona. It would be better for them if they saw a friendly face during the council."

It was true. Rapunzel was well acquainted with both Anna and Elsa. Though they weren't necessarily friends, Rapunzel has socialized with them before. She was glad that she had a personal experience with the Snow Queen of Arendelle. Rapunzel was fascinated with Elsa's powers. Some nights she wished she had a cool set of powers herself, but the magical abilities she once had were gone now.

Rapunzel found something odd with her father's reason. There was nothing more about politics she didn't know. She was familiar with the politics involved in running a kingdom. There was nothing more she can be taught. Her father's reason was faulty.

"Father," Rapunzel said, "you know I don't need to know the politics involved. Also, I bet there will be plenty of friendly faces in this council, and you know that. Why am I going?"

The King looked away from her and sighed. Rapunzel still didn't know the truth. He sheltered her from the truth for so long, but he knew she eventually had to know. The King hoped that that day would never come, and Rapunzel would keep her innocence. He didn't know how'd she react to it, but, he knew that she had to know. The King took a deep breath and looked back at his daughter.

"Do you remember your wedding?" the King asked.

"How could I forget? Why is that important?" Rapunzel asked.

"Do you know about the unfortunate deaths of the King and Queen of Arendelle?"

Rapunzel nodded.

"They died on the way to Corona, for your wedding." The King told her.

Rapunzel was shocked. How could she not know about this? She was kept in the dark all this time, and now she finds out. She greeted Elsa and Anna as friends, and now she learns that their parents died because of Rapunzel. The died during something for Rapunzel. Rapunzel was thinking about something to say to Elsa and Anna. _Hi guys, your parents died on the way to my wedding, have a nice day._ Rapunzel felt responsible for this. She would never want something so tragic to happen during something as small as a wedding.

Rapunzel took a step back from her father. She couldn't believe her father was hiding this from her all of this time. The look on his face made him look guilty of lying which he was. Though Rapunzel was shocked with her father's revelation, she understood why her father hid it from her. He wanted to protect his little girl. He wanted to keep her pure. But, Rapunzel felt that she needed to know the truth a long time ago. She had to say something to Anna and Elsa now. After visiting Arendelle twice, only now she found out.

Rapunzel turned around to walk away and tell Eugene, but she found her mother standing behind her. The Queen of Corona was standing there long enough to hear the story. She was looking down at her feet with a sad expression. The Queen took and held Rapunzel's hands in hers.

"We had to keep this a secret from you. You didn't have to know why they died." The Queen said. "We didn't want you to feel responsible."

Rapunzel looked into her mother's eyes and smiled. She had the power to forgive them. They were just looking out for Rapunzel. Rapunzel was always cheerful and bright, and they were right to fear that this information would change that. Now though, Rapunzel had guilt on her shoulders. There was not enough time to let it go during the meeting.

"Why am I going to this meeting?" Rapunzel asked her mother.

"Your father and I feel that we owe Queen Elsa and Princess Anna something. We all owe them that much. It's just that... we... we didn't have the courage to confront them about it until now." The Queen said.

Rapunzel understood their viewpoint. She knew how it felt to be afraid of something. Rapunzel wondered what her husband's reaction will be. Eugene was a man with little morals. She feared that he wouldn't give a heart towards this subject. But, she hoped that she was able to teach something to him about doing what was right. Sometimes, he did act like his old self, but he would always be his best around Rapunzel.

Rapunzel turned back towards her father. "We don't want war, do we?" Rapunzel asked him.

The King nodded. "During the Southern Isles' war council, I agreed under peer pressure. We can't harm Arendelle anymore, not after what they've lost. We owe them, and we'll support them during this council." The King looked over at his wife who nodded in agreement.

Arendelle had Corona on their side, and that would help them during the council. Corona was considered one of the most successful kingdoms in the known world, and that meant it had a lot of economic and political power. Corona was also one of Arendelle's closest trade partners. Corona would look out for Arendelle, no matter how this meeting will turn out.

"We'll do our best to keep Arendelle safe." The Queen added.

"And what if that means threatening the safety of Corona?" Rapunzel asked.

Rapunzel was a good person, but she looked out for the safety of her home above all else. If war is officially coming after this meeting, and if the King intends to do all he had said, then Corona will be considered an enemy by the other kingdoms. War will also be declared on Corona as well, and that means threatening lives. Rapunzel was not happy with that probability.

"I'll do what is right." The King said. "Even if that's not looking out for our own interests."

Rapunzel looked at the ground. She now feared for her kingdom. She didn't fear much. She couldn't bear it if this council brought the end of Corona along with Arendelle. She couldn't let that happen no matter what. She was on a different side than her father. She was on Corona's side. She would do what she could to keep both Corona and Arendelle safe. To her, that meant that she shouldn't interfere with the meeting.

"Father," Rapunzel said, "I'm going to sit this one out. In there, I may have to argue against you if that means that I can ensures Corona's safety. I can't deal with that pressure."

Rapunzel walked off to go below deck. The King and Queen didn't say anything. They understood that their daughter was free to do what she wanted and they didn't want to take that freedom away. Too many years has Rapunzel wasted her freedom. They just stared as their daughter walked away.

Rapunzel found Eugene and Maximus in their own little area below deck. They were flexing and comparing their biceps for some reason. Rapunzel couldn't believe that Eugene was doing this with a horse. Eugene noticed Rapunzel approach and immediately stopped playing around. She walked into his arms with a sad expression, and he held her. Eugene kissed Rapunzel on her forehead, and noticed she wasn't being herself. She's always giggle whenever he kissed her, but there was no reaction that time.

"What's wrong?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel looked up at him, and took a deep breath.

"I just found out that the old King and Queen of Arendelle died on their way to our wedding." Rapunzel said.

Eugene's happiness faded, and Maximus neighed sadly. He felt bad for the monarchs, but he not at all felt responsible. It wasn't his fault they died. He didn't directly harm them and that made him feel better. But, knowing Rapunzel, he knew that she felt responsible. She was too good of a person not to. He felt bad, not for the deaths of the King and Queen, but for his wife.

"Is that the reason we're going to Arendelle?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel nodded. "We owe them something."

"But-"

"We owe them!" Rapunzel screamed.

Very rarely did Rapunzel raise her voice. Very rarely did she ever get mad. She was passionate about this, and her husband was not. She wished that he would feel a bit of remorse, but as it seems, that's just not the case. No one could blame Eugene. That's just the way he was. He was too strong willed to feel remorse, and no one could change that, not even Rapunzel.

Maximus tapped Rapunzel on the shoulder with his head. She put her hand over his head, and rubbed it. She was glad that the horse was there for her.

"We're not going to the meeting." Rapunzel said. "I'm too conflicted with both Corona and Arendelle."

Eugene nodded in, understanding her position. He would be there to support her for all of the decisions she made. She was all he had left. He's already lost a friend. Pascal passed a few months earlier. Rapunzel was devastated. Eugene felt for the little guy, and he was there to help Rapunzel through it. They were going to miss that chameleon.

"All ashore!" They heard outside.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Maximus looked up. They were almost at Arendelle. The three ran up the stairs to the upper dock, but MAximus shortly got stuck. He eventually squirmed his way out of it, and joined his friends. Rapunzel and Eugene joined the King and Queen at the bow of the ship. Ahead of them, they saw a white sky over the snowy city. many other ships were already docked. A grand castle stood across a plaza, separated by a stone bridge.

"Arendelle..." Rapunzel said. She admired the glorious city as the ship docked.

* * *

Elsa stood on the balcony of her study. It overlooked the castle courtyard and farther. She could see the stone bridge, the plaza, and the docks. She saw as the people exited their boats and walked to the castle. Elsa took a deep breath. She had to deal with those people later. She hoped that they were on her side for this council. The fate on Arendelle depended on it.

Elsa turned around to find Anna sitting on her chair, her feet on Elsa's large desk. A large portrait of their father hung behind Anna. It was depicting his coronation.

"Get you feet down, seriously, were you raised in a barn?" Elsa asked Anna.

Anna laughed. It wasn't the first time she was told that. Anna took her feet off the table and back on the floor where it belonged. Anna was wondering if Kristoff told Elsa that joke. Then, Anna's smile began to fade. That question hit home harder than she thought it would. Elsa wouldn't know how Anna was raised. Elsa wasn't there for Anna for most of her childhood.

Elsa saw the expression on Anna's face and knew that raising was a sore subject. It was time to move on from that. They had no time thinking about the past, right now. They had to focus on the present and the future.

Elsa walked past Anna and in front of the portrait of their father. Elsa put her hand on the portrait, remembering her father. She wondered what her father would think of her right now. He always told her to be a good girl and control her powers, now, her powers were the thing that caused this war. Elsa thought her father would be disappointed in her, and she thought he'd be right to.

What would he think of Elsa? Arendelle's fall may be on Elsa's hand. But, then and there, Elsa promised him silently that Arendelle will not fall. He worked so hard to improve the kingdom and give it a good name. Elsa refused to be the one who would violate his work.

Anna knew that her father was important to Elsa. As Elsa grew up, everything Elsa did was for her father. Anna was surprised that Elsa didn't resent him. He was the one who had her isolated from everyone. He was the one who made Elsa have a cold childhood. Yet, Elsa still looked up to him. Anna didn't get it. Anna didn't know about the respect Elsa had for the old King.

Anna got out of Elsa's chair and walked next to her sister. Anna put her hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa managed a quick smile, but it faded just as quick as it came. A large table with storage compartments stood below the hung painting. Elsa opened one of the drawers and pulled out a pair of gloves. They were white gloves, similar to the blue gloves she had during her coronation.

"What are those for?" Anna asked.

Elsa slid the gloves on her hands. "Just in case..." Elsa said.

Elsa couldn't risk an accident during the meeting. Though she still had full control of her powers, whenever her emotions spiked, her powers will act up. She had to take precautions. She couldn't look like the monster they were accusing her of being during the council. Elsa took a deep breath. She told herself mentally that everything's going to be alright and nothing will go wrong. What _can_ go wrong?

Anna was no longer used to seeing Elsa with the gloves. To Anna, the gloves were a symbol of Elsa's fear. She took them off when she thought she no longer feared them. Anna realized Elsa was putting them back on because of another form of fear. Elsa feared for Arendelle. Anna did too.

Elsa walked back out to her balcony followed by Anna. They saw one particularly large ship. They looked closer and found 12 elegantly clothed men walk off of the ship. They recognized a brown haired side burned man.

"Hans..." Elsa said, anger in her voice. "I knew he had something to do with this."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Anna asked.

Ever since Elsa got that letter, she had her suspicions. She associated the Southern Isles with Hans. She didn't know how Hans convinced people of higher power to declare war, but Elsa knew that he did it. She had a feeling of it in her gut. Hans was bad news, even after they thought he was dealt with. He was obviously their enemy during the council, and that wasn't good. Hans was charismatic and deceiving. He would make a worthy opponent.

"I want to pay him a visit." Anna said angrily.

Anna started to walk off, but Elsa grabbed her arm with her hand. Anna tried to break away but Elsa's hold was too strong. Elsa really didn't want her sister to talk to that guy. She wanted to prevent the drama before the council.

"You're not going to talk to him. I'll talk to him during the council. You sit tight." Elsa said.

"But," Anna said, "I didn't give our friend down there a proper good bye the last time we saw him." She was obviously implying pain.

"You punched him in the face!" Elsa pointed out.

"Yeah, but-"

"Then he fell into the ocean, and drowned. He was barely saved!"

Anna grinned, guilty as charged. She guessed that she had already inflicted enough pain to him, but she wanted more. Anna knew that it was devious. The things she wanted to torture Hans with are illegal throughout the kingdoms.

"I'll go greet the guests." Anna said.

Elsa still didn't let go.

"I won't harm a soul." Anna said.

Elsa still didn't trust Anna, but she couldn't keep her here forever. Elsa let go of Anna and Anna walked off. She smiled over at Elsa one more time before she opened the door out of her study. When Anna opened the door, she saw Kai walking toward the study through the empty corridor.

Anna walked through the corridor, greeting Kai. Kai nodded, acknowledging her. They passed each other, and Kai entered Elsa's study. Elsa saw Kai walk in and he took a seat on Elsa's chair. She still stood on her balcony, looking over the city.

"It's almost time." Kai said.

Elsa nodded. She looked down at the courtyard. Monarchs and representatives were all socializing outside in the snow. Some were begging to get inside, where it was warm. Others were hoping they wouldn't go inside since they didn't want to attend the council. It didn't matter what they wanted though. The time for the council was coming near

"How am I going to do this?" Elsa asked.

"Easy." Kai said. "You sit them down and tell them 'Let's not have a war!' I heard that works well."

Elsa giggled. "Even at times like these, you still make jokes."

"I try."

Kai wanted Elsa to know that she wasn't alone. She never has to be alone ever again. Elsa had many people to look to when things got bad. Kai wanted Elsa to remember that.

"You'll do fine." Kai said. "I'll be sitting right next to you. I'll help you with this."

Elsa smiled and walked to Kai. She sat on Kai's lap while he sat on her chair. Elsa turned her head to meet Kai's eyes.

"This is our only hope." Elsa said.

"And if this goes wrong?" Kai asked.

"It can't." Elsa said.

Kai was hoping this plan wouldn't go wrong, but he knew that there was a probability that it would. He would fight a war if that meant he would be protecting the ones he cared about.

"Elsa," Kai said. "we have to be prepared for the alternative. Your powers can create things that may aid us in a war. We won't be completely defenseless."

"No!" Elsa said, standing up. "Kai, I won't use my powers for a war. I refuse to use them for a war. I won't create soldiers if that's what your asking."

Kai didn't understand. Elsa cared for her kingdom so much, yet she wouldn't use her powers to protect them. It showed how anti-war Elsa was. The idea of it sickened her, and she didn't want to support one, even if she's involved. Kai had to be prepared for a war. Elsa didn't want to. Kai didn't question Elsa's authority. He didn't want to force her to change her mentality. He respected her too much for that.

"Whatever you say..." Kai said.

Elsa looked down at Kai and smiled. She was glad that he wouldn't resist. She knew that it wasn't in his nature to believe in what she did about war, but she was glad that he would follow her on this.

Elsa knelt down next to her chair and kissed Kai on his lips. Kai put his hands on her cheek and closed his eyes. Then, bells were heard from the outside. Kai broke their kiss and walked to the balcony. He looked down at the courtyard and saw the monarchs and representatives walking into the castle. He turned back at Elsa.

"It's time." Kai said.

* * *

Author's Note: I know a lot of you guys out there are like "OMG! RAPUNZEL!" right now. Yes, Rapunzel will be featured in this story. No, it doesn't count as a crossover. I don't consider it a crossover because it only has story elements from Frozen with sprinkles of the characters of Tangled. Also, I wanted Rapunzel's appearance to be a surprise. This was more of another character introduction chapter. Ciao.


	9. The Council

**Chapter IX: The Council**

* * *

Anna and Kristoff stood at the grand doors that led into the castle. They put on fake smiles for their guests. They had to at least appear happy though there was nothing happy about their situation. The peace council was only a few minutes away, and Anna and Kristoff knew that it was up to Elsa and Kai to prevent war. They put on smiles on what would be the darkest day of their life. For a peace council, Anna knew that there would be a lot of yelling involved.

Anna and Kristoff greeted the monarchs and representatives as they walked into the council. All of them had anything but a smile on their face. It was obvious that they didn't want to be here as much as Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Kai did. Most of them did not acknowledge Anna and Kristoff's presence as they walked past. It came off as a bit rude to Anna, but who could blame them. Too much was at stake tonight, and everyone had a role to play, both big and small.

Anna hoped that Elsa knew what she was doing. Elsa wasn't necessarily the most social person. Very few times has she had to deal with things like this. Very few times. Anna wished that Elsa would've let her come to the meeting. Anna could have helped Elsa get on the good side of everyone, but, that won't happen now. Anna wanted to support Elsa through this. They've always had each other's back ever since Elsa revealed her powers to everyone, and now, Elsa didn't want Anna's help. That hurt Anna on the inside.

Kristoff was actually glad that he wouldn't be a part of the meeting. He knew almost nothing about politics. An ice miner raised by trolls who's best friends are a reindeer, a snowman, and a guy who can shoot fire out of his hands knows nothing about politics? Ridiculous. Kristoff accompanied Kai to a meeting about Arendelle Castle's security once, and Kristoff fell asleep during it. It was clear that Kristoff wasn't the best person for an important meeting like this.

A large group of men walked through the gates and into the courtyard. They all looked fairly similar, all sharing similar facial features with each other. Their physiques differed. Some were scrawny, some were fat, others were muscular. They all wore the same outfit; elegant white clothes. Anna looked around at the crowd and counted twelve people. She realized that they were the same group of people she saw at Elsa's study earlier. They were the princes of the Southern Isles, and that meant that one of them was trouble.

She looked around to find an old enemy. Then, she saw the familiar side-burned villain that plotted against them years ago; Hans. Anna pointed Kristoff towards Hans, and Kristoff gave an angry expression. He cracked his knuckles and clenched his fists.

"We don't want trouble." Anna told Kristoff.

"We're already in trouble." Kristoff countered.

"Not if Elsa and Kai change that. We don't need to make things worse."

Kristoff took a deep breath and sighed in disappointment. Anna didn't know how bad Kristoff wanted to feed Hans his own underwear. Hans hurt Anna. He had to pay for that. But, Anna was right. Hurting Hans would just put them in more hot water, and Kristoff knew that. He couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgement, so he would refrain from smacking Hans around... for now.

Hans knew that they spotted him, and he looked at their direction. Hans gave a devious smirk at Anna and he winked. Anna gritted her teeth and clench her fists. She wanted to hurt Hans just as badly as Kristoff did, but she knew the consequences. He took a deep breath to calm herself down.

The twelve brothers walked toward the castle door and stopped in front of Anna and Kristoff. Christian was in front of his brothers. In the Westerguard family, the eldest would always act as the leader. Seeing as how Ander was in the Southern Isles, Christian would be the leader. Christian knelt to the ground and bowed. The eleven others followed his example and did the same, even Hans.

"I assume you're Princess Anna." Christian said.

Anna nodded.

Christian looked over at Kristoff. "And you're..." Christian had never heard of Kristoff in his life.

"I'm Arendelle's official ice master and deliverer." Kristoff answered.

"That's not a thing." Christian said.

"He's my husband." Anna said, not wanting to get off topic.

"Splendid." Christian said. "I apologize for the trouble we have caused you. To be honest, we did not agree to this war."

"I don't think you should be the one apologizing." Anna said, looking at Hans.

The brothers all looked at Hans, and that was a signal for Hans to go up to Anna. Hans stood up, wiped the snow off of his knees, and slowly walked to Anna. He was reluctant to go, but he knew no one would get anywhere if he didn't. He couldn't believe he had to be the one to apologize. He felt that everyone should be apologizing to him. His brothers needed to apologize for always looking down on him, and Elsa and Anna needed to apologize for foiling his plans. Although, he couldn't blame Anna and Elsa. He knew what he did was evil, but he didn't care. He knew that _he _was evil, but he didn't care. Things weren't going Hans' way, but he knew that that would change.

Hans stood in front of Anna and Kristoff who both stood cross-armed. They were patiently waiting for his apology, though no forgiveness would be given. What Hans had done could not be forgiven. That was fine for everyone. Hans didn't need or want forgiveness, and Anna and Kristoff didn't want to give it.

Hans put his right hand over his chest and bowed. Anna and Kristoff were not amused with Hans' "gentlemanly" behavior. Hans hated being forced to keep the act up.

"I, Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles, formally apologize for the sins I have committed against Arendelle." Hans said.

Anna and Kristoff did not respond to his apology, and Hans was not surprised. The eleven other princes stood up, wiped the snow off of their legs, and walked into the castle. Hans just stood still as his brothers walked past him, forcing him behind the others. When Hans stood behind all of his brothers, he followed them into the castle. Anna and Kristoff just stood at their spots, studying Hans. They were wondering what his next move was. They knew he was plotting something, and they wouldn't be surprised if something bad happened.

Hans looked over his shoulder at Anna and Kristoff as he walked to the meeting. He gave them a smirk and looked back ahead. His presence was bad new, but there was nothing Anna, Kristoff, or even Elsa could do about it. If it were up to them, Hans wouldn't even be allowed into the castle, but since Hans was the main person behind this war, he had to be at the meeting.

Anna and Kristoff were glad that trouble hasn't been started before the meeting. They didn't want to create drama or make the representatives mad at them. They put Sven and Olaf in the stables to make sure that doesn't happen. They didn't want those two bothering any of the guests since they knew what trouble would happen if they greeted the guests.

Things couldn't go wrong during this meeting. If the slightest mistake was made, Arendelle was toast. When a peace council is held, and if any harm were to find its way to the monarchs and representatives, the hosting country would be committing treason against all other kingdoms, and that was something they didn't want happening. Arendelle will be in deep trouble, and there would be nothing anyone can do about it. Elsa and Kai had to talk intelligently and the guards had to be ready if something bad were to happen.

Anna and Kristoff closed the doors when the last person got into the castle. The guards showed the monarchs and representatives the way to the meeting room. Guards led them to the second floor and down a long corridor. The guards showed the room where the meeting would be taking place. It was a large room with a balcony on the outside. To the balcony's right and left were surfaces that acted like roofs, flat enough to walk on. A huge table lay in the center of the room. It was ten times longer in width. A chandelier hung above the table, a fire was burning in the fireplace, and bookshelves lined the walls.

Kai and Elsa sat on one end of the table, the closest end to the door. Elsa wore her small crown tonight. She usually never wore it, but she had to look like a monarch in front of the others. The council people took their seats as the rest of them walked in. Christian, Hans, and their brothers were the last to walk in. Christian and Hans sat at the opposite end of the table to Kai and Elsa. The brothers sat to their side. Hans gave a smirk to Elsa who looked away. Kai noticed Hans was looking at her.

"Who's that?" Kai asked Elsa.

"That," Elsa said, "would be Hans."

"Our opponent?" Kai asked.

Elsa nodded. "He's bad news."

"I've heard." Kai said. "Is this the guy who tried to kill you and Anna and take the throne of Arendelle for himself?"

"That's the guy." Elsa answered.

Elsa looked over at the door and found Anna peeking her head out. Anna motioned Elsa to walk over to her.

"Excuse me for a minute." Elsa told Kai.

Elsa pushed back her chair and stood up. She walked towards Anna and they walked out of the room.

"Are you ready, Elsa?" Anna asked.

"No." Elsa said truthfully. "I know what to say, but what if I mess up. What if I can't stop this war?"

"You'll do fine." Anna assured. "You have Kai in there to back you up."

Elsa took a deep breath. She hoped in her head that she'll succeed. She couldn't fail Arendelle or her sister. The following minutes will decide the fate of Arendelle, and Elsa couldn't let that pressure get to her. She had to stay calm and not lose her head. She had to be as cool as ice. Anna offered her sister a hug and Elsa took it. She needed that right now. She couldn't show affection in front of the people in there since it would not be professional.

"Hans is bad news." Anna said.

"Tell me something I don't know." Elsa said.

"I borrowed your toothbrush when I tried to brush Sven's teeth." Anna said.

"What?! Eww!"

"Well, you told me to tell you something new."

"That was a rhetorical statement! You're not suppose to take it literally!"

"Oops."

Elsa managed to hold in a barf. "It would have been better if you didn't tell me that..." Elsa put on a straight face after looking disgusted. She turned to go back into the room.

"Elsa?" Anna said.

Elsa turned around to face her sister.

"Good luck." Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you." she said. "Oh, and please throw my toothbrush away please."

Anna laughed and walked away. Elsa walked back into the room and took her seat. She tried to look as respectable as she could, and she put her hands on her lap. Kai put his hand over hers and rubbed it. He assured her that everything was going to be alright. Elsa wished he was right. Too much was at stake.

Elsa looked around at the crowd and they got silent. She put her hands on the table, intent on making people realize that her gloves are on and that they are in no danger from her. Elsa cleared her throat and prepared to speak.

"Thank you all for coming to this peace council I am hosting." Elsa said.

"We did not have a choice Queen Elsa." said one of the guests.

"That may be true," Elsa said, "but I would still like to acknowledge the fact that you have all spared your time here with me."

Elsa took a deep breath. She practiced hard before the meeting. She knew everything she had to say by heart. The words kept replaying in her mind. She was prepared, unlike Kai. Kai reckoned that he would improvise the entire thing and support Elsa when she needed it.

"Who's the man next to you?" asked Christian.

Elsa looked down at Kai, motioning him to introduce himself. Kai stood up and looked around.

"I am Queen Elsa's Captain of the Guard." Kai answered.

"People say that you're suppose to be dead." said one of the representatives.

"I'm hard to kill..." Kai said.

"Word around also says you're very similar to the Queen." said another representative.

Whispers broke out among the guests. Some were confused and others were shocked. Kai looked down at Elsa who had pursed lips. Elsa nodded at Kai, telling him to reveal his secret. Was that the smartest idea? Some of them were afraid of Elsa. Did they really need someone else to worry about? But, as it seems, some already knew. Kai had to show them.

Kai held out his hands in front of him and create a small fireball in it. People gasped and some moved away from Kai. Hans stared intently at the flame. Another powered individual would only complicate things for him, but he could use it against them. Kai extinguished the flames and looked around. No one said a word. Kai crossed his arms and sat back down.

"Ta-da..." Kai said.

There was a short silence among everyone. No one knew what to say or what to do.

"Don't worry." Kai said. "I'm not a danger to anyone here."

"How can we be sure?" Hans asked.

"You have my word."

"These days, that's not enough."

"What do you want me to do, Hans?"

"I don't want you to do anything. I just don't trust you about this, Captain Kai."

"What's not to trust?"

"You're working with our enemy!" Hans pointed to Elsa.

"She's _you're _enemy! No one here wanted this war except for you!"

"Then why did they agree to it?"

"Why don't you ask them?!"

Kai was losing his patience with Hans. He could see why so many people hated him. Kai wanted to just run up to him and rip off his side burns. Elsa stood up and was ready to take charge of the conversation. She was having enough of this bickering.

"Kai has a point." Elsa said. "Why did you all decide to declare war? Arendelle has not been a threat and will never be a threat."

Christian stood up. "The kingdoms fear for their safety. Two eternal winters have been created, and they don't want one in their own kingdom."

The King of Corona stood up. "I'm sure both winters were unintentional."

Elsa nodded. "I did not mean to cause harm to anyone."

"Oh yeah?" Hans asked. "Explain Teranhall. Was that an accident too? What business does Arendelle have to Teranhall?"

Elsa opened her mouth, but hesitated. If she told the truth about Teranhall, then King Lyre would be ruined. She looked around to see if he was in the meeting, and she found him staring at her at his seat. Lyre closed his eyes and stood up. The others who were standing sat down.

"That was my fault." Lyre said.

The guests gasped and whispered among each other.

Lyre continued to speak. "I... I was a different man, then. A bad man. I made mistakes that I wish I hadn't made. I lured Elsa to Teranhall and extracted her powers. I used them to create the winter."

Elsa and Kai couldn't believe Lyre stood up for them like that. They both understood that Lyre was now a ruined man, and Lyre knew what he was walking into. Even knowing this, Lyre still stood up for them. Though they had forgiven him, he still felt that he owed them something. Lyre sat back in his seat, looking down on the table. Lyre knew that everyone was looking at him, but he paid no attention.

One of the monarchs cleared his throat. "King Lyre, that means your rule will have to be abolished in Teranhall."

Lyre nodded, understanding it. "Let's just continue with the meeting..." Lyre said. "Queen Elsa is not a threat, and I shall vouch for her."

"Elsa won't do anything to harm you kingdoms." Kai said.

"She's not the only problem anymore." Hans said. "The way I see it, you're just as much of a threat. Hans stood up and looked around at the guests. They all focused their attention on him. "What's to stop Captain Kai from going to you're kingdoms and burning them down?"

"I would never do that!" Kai said. "I swear on my life, I'd never harm innocent people."

"What do you with those who aren't innocent?" asked one of Hans' brothers.

Kai stared at Hans when he said "I make sure they get what they deserve."

"You kill?" asked a guest.

"No." Kai answered. "But I'll make them wish they were."

Elsa knew Kai was getting a bit intimidating. She didn't want him to look like a menace in front of these people. She grabbed Kai's arm and gently tugged it down, signaling him to sit down and shut up.

Elsa took a deep breath. "Your kingdoms are safe and there's no need to start a war over something as stupid as fear."

"What's the assurance on that?" asked a representatives.

"What can we give besides our word?" Elsa asked. "If you're after our goods and money, that just means you're bullying us with the threat of war. I will not bribe any of you to prevent this war since I should not have to." Elsa feared this would happen. She feared corrupt men would try to bring her down, and she let these people into her castle.

The King of Corona spoke up. "She's right. Arendelle should not lose anything. Only thugs bully to take."

Elsa smiled and nodded at the King. At least someone was on her side.

"We won't bully Arendelle." Christian said.

"Thank you." Elsa said.

One representative spoke up. "There are still those who don't believe you'll keep your promise."

"I'm not a wicked witch." Elsa said. "I know right from wrong. I know the promises I should keep."

"Do you deny the fact that one day you may go rogue and cause chaos for other kingdoms?"

"I deny it!" Elsa said. "I would never go rogue and hurt innocents on purpose."

"How do we know you won't?"

"That's where you must have faith." Elsa said.

That was a huge problem among many. They didn't trust each other. That's how this war was started. People don't trust Elsa, so they had to make sure Elsa would not be a threat. It became clearer to Elsa now. They didn't have faith in her ability to control herself. So, they would need to control her.

"I won't be a threat. Once again, you have my word on that." Elsa said. "Have faith in me. Have faith that I won't use my powers to harm your kingdoms. I have faith that you will make the right decision."

"A war would be unnecessary." Kai said. "You're scared of Elsa, not Arendelle."

"Yes," Hans said, "but, we can't just ask for the head of a monarch. The rules between kingdoms say that in order to get to her, we have to get through Arendelle."

"Who made this rule?" Kai asked.

"Our ancestors." Hans answered.

"Let's not get off topic." Elsa said. "I called this peace council because I want to save my country. I want to avoid war, and right now, I don't know where we're at on that."

"We all want to avoid war, but our fear is taking the better of us." said a monarch "None of us want to wake up in the middle of an eternal winter."

"You won't have to." Elsa said. "You'll never have to. I once again assure you're safe."

"What good is your word?" Hans asked.

Kai stood up. "Don't you see?" Kai said. "Hans plotted this against us! All he wants is revenge, and if war is started, then he'll have his revenge."

Everyone looked over at Hans who gave an angered face, proving Kai's statement correct. Christian was disappointed in his brother, and stood up.

"The Southern Isles will not go to war with Arendelle." Christian said. "I cannot speak for the other countries."

Elsa smiled at Christian. She was glad that he was able to see what was happening, and to help stop the war. One by one, the people stood up each saying that they will not go to war. Soon, only Hans was sitting down, arms crossed.

"What are the terms?" Elsa asked.

"No terms." said Christian. "Arendelle has endured much already. We'll just pretend this entire incident didn't happen." Christian looked down at Hans. "Someone is going to be in big trouble."

"You got that right." said a voice coming from the balcony outside. Everyone turned to see who's voice it was. On the balcony stood a young man in about his late twenties or early thirties. The man had light brown hair and black eyes. He stood tall, about Kai's height. The man had a sword in his hand, and two pistols strapped to his waist. A small bag hung on his back.

"Sorry to interrupt." The man said, smirking.

They all knew one thing; he wasn't here to talk about peace.

* * *

Author's Note: I just want to let you guys get a sense of how often I post chapters. I really don't have a schedule when I write chapters, so I just write them any time. I try to do them as often as I can, but that doesn't mean I'll post daily. Expect a lot of chapters when I'm on summer break since I have all of that free time in my hands. Ciao.


	10. Unwelcome Guests

**Chapter X: Unwelcome Guests**

* * *

All of the council people just sat and watched in silence at the mysterious man. Kai was studying the man to see if he was a threat. By the looks of it, the man was. He was heavily armed and dangerous. His menacing smile added to his antagonizing demeanor. Kai put his hand over the sword strapped to his waist and waited for the man to make a move. Both Kai and Elsa had to be ready for anything.

The man took closer footsteps toward the table. The sounds of his footsteps echoed across the room, and it somehow got louder for each step. When he stopped walking, the loudest step could be heard. The man scanned the room. Kai realized that he wasn't looking at the monarchs or representatives, but he was checking the security of the room. There were no guards protecting the room and that was bad. Kai smacked his head. He knew he should've added some security to the meeting, but he didn't. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought to himself.

Kai looked at the pistols strapped to the man's waist. Kai's eyes widened, and the memory of him getting shot replayed in his brain. Elsa looked at Kai's eyes and saw how haunted they were. She looked over at what he was staring at and found the pistols. She knew what Kai was thinking about, and the last thing they needed was for Kai to have a mental breakdown to a memory. She put her hand over his to comfort him, but comfort wasn't helping in their situation.

They studied the man's face to see if they could recognize him, but unfortunately, they've never seen him before. His very presence intimidated everyone in the room. Some feared that if they stood up, they would get knocked down and wouldn't be able to stand up...ever. No one knew what the man wanted, but they knew he wasn't there to ask for cookies. Whatever his goal was, it wasn't good.

"Who are you?" Kai asked the man.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The man sneered.

"You are interrupting official kingdom business." Elsa said. "Leave immediately or face the consequences."

The man startled to chuckle. His laugh was not maniacal, but it still gave off an evil mood. "I'm so scared!" The man said, sarcastically.

"You should be." Kai threatened.

The man stopped laughing but kept a smile on his face. He walked closer to the table, and found a wide enough space where he could fit. He walked to it and leaned on the table with both of his hands pressing against it.

"The infamous Captain Kai of Arendelle, all talk. You make threats and scare people into believing you'll act upon them, but in reality, you're just a little boy who is scared of the fire that comes out of his hands."

Kai stood up and created a fireball in his hands. The council people gasped and backed away from Kai, fearing that he may hit them with it.

"Believe me," Kai said, "I'm anything but afraid."

The fire shined in the man's eyes and the man smiled. Kai was confused. He thought that the man would have a similar reaction to the others, but he was different. This man was tough and wasn't scared of Kai. Elsa grabbed Kai's arm and he looked down at her. She gave him a look that said much. It said that scaring the council people would help them, and her eyes told him to cut it out. Kai extinguished the flame but still stood up. Elsa stood up next to Kai.

"You're not welcome here." Elsa said. "You are trespassing into a private meeting, and I am going to ask you to leave."

"Didn't you get the message, Elsa." The man said. "I'm not leaving until I get what I want."

"Or..." Kai said. "I could kindly throw you out."

"You'll drop dead two second before you lay a hand on me." The man threatened.

Hans stood up. "Enough!" Hans demanded. "We can resolve this without violence."

"Sorry side burns," the man said, "but I think violence is inevitable at this point."

Kai took a better hold of his sword. The handle was fully in his hand and he was ready to attack. Elsa noticed Kai's hand and took it away. The last thing they needed at a peace council was violence. Elsa wanted a peaceful solution to their current predicament. She didn't want Kai showing his aggressiveness in front of all of those people. It would just prove Hans' statement about them being dangerous correct. But, Elsa couldn't blame Kai. This man had to be kicked out as soon as they could.

"I demand that you find your way out this instant!" Elsa said.

The man shook his head. "That's not how this is going to work." said the man.

"You don't call the shots." Christian said.

The man took out one of his pistols and studied it. "It appears that I do." The man said.

Now, he was threatening everyone. Kai and Elsa needed to stop him, but they had to know more about his motives. They had to determine how much of a threat he really was. They hoped they could do that before he shot a single bullet. They couldn't let him hurt anyone. If he did, that would mean Arendelle would be the target of war. It didn't matter what went down.

"This is a peace council, right?" The man asked. People around the room nodded. "How ironic..." The man said. "It's going to be anything _but_ peaceful."

"What are you implying?" Elsa asked.

"I'm implying that tonight's going to be a rough night for all of you."

"What is it that you're after?" Elsa asked.

The man smirked and looked around at the council people. He could see the fear in some of their faces and it amused him. Now, Kai and Elsa were sure he was bad news.

"I want what you don't." The man answered.

"I don't want many things." Elsa countered.

"Touché." The man said. "I'll tell you what I want. I want to see all of you nobles on your knees, begging for mercy from me. Begging from those who aren't as lucky. I want you all to feel the pain I felt. The pain of being shunned and pushed around. I want you all to suffer before us before we show you the mercy of death."

Whispers broke among the council people. Their eyes were wide open. The threats this man was making scared all of them.

The man continued to speak. "I want war."

That was all it took for Kai. The anger that grew inside of him could no longer be contained. Kai couldn't just stand there letting this man hurt them with words. The weapons in the man's hand already indicated that he was the enemy. They didn't know what he was going to do, but Kai had to stop him before he did anything else.

Kai shot a fireball at the man, and he sidestepped it. All of the politicians near the coming fireball jumped out of their seat and to the side. Kai's fireball hit the wall and it left a large hole in it. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread and it dismissed itself instantly. The guests gasped as they looked at what Kai had done. The man have Kai a smile.

"Well..." The man said, "I finally got to your head, huh?"

Kai clenchee his fist. He was getting sick and tired of this man' remarks. Now, Kai knew more about his enemy. The man had the impressive power of side stepping.

Elsa looked at Kai in shock. She couldn't believe that he had just lost his cool. She thought Kai was able to refrain himself from attacking, but apparently that's not the case. But, she couldn't deny the fact that the man deserved it. He was practically asking to get fireballed at and he got his wish.

"Don't be rude to your guest, Kai." The man said. "Because, they might just bite back!"

The man took out three knives at threw it at the standing Kai and Elsa. The couple barely had time to react. Kai jumped to the side while Elsa sidestepped it. Unfortunately, Elsa didn't sidestep far enough. One of the knives was to cut through her clothed arm, leaving a huge cut on her left arm. Elsa yelped grabbed her arm in pain. When she took her hand off, blood was all over her hand. The council people just stood and watched their skirmish.

Kai looked at Elsa's arm in anger. He looked back at the man with fire in his eyes. He couldn't let this man get away, not after what he did to Elsa. How dare he hurt her?!, Kai thought. Now, Kai was even more determined to take him down.

Kai studied the room. He noticed that the man would only have two choices of escape; the outside balcony or the door out of the room. The balcony would be a dangerous escape route. There was always the probability that the man would fall to his doom. The door out would be a safer route, but unfortunately for the man, Kai was close to the door. Kai liked the odds on catching the man.

The man aimed his pistol at Kai, and Kai froze. The image of a pistol being pointed at him gave him the same terrible memory. The man smirked. Kai couldn't move which made him an easier target. He put his finger over the trigger, but Elsa grabbed Kai and dropped to the floor with him. She knew that Kai would have trouble evading the bullet so she had to do something about.

The man looked at the open door and took his finger off the trigger. That was his chance to get out. The man rushed to the door and ran out. When Kai saw the man run out, he immediately jumped to his feet followed by Elsa.

"You're not getting away that easy!" Kai yelled.

Kai ran out the door to chase the man. When Kai got out of the door, he found the man sprinting down the corridor. Kai ran after him, and as he was running, Kai turned around to see Elsa running alongside him.

"You should stay with the others." Kai said.

"No way." Elsa said. "You'll need my help taking this guy down."

Kai didn't protest. He had a feeling that she _would _be a great help. With that, the two ran after the man in the halls of Arendelle Castle.

Back in the meeting room, the council people were shocked. Things escalated quicker than they'd had imagined.

"What do we do now?" asked one of the Westerguards.

"Now," Christian said,"we'll wait."

"Why?" Hans asked. "It's obvious this meeting took a different turn. We should just go."

"The meeting has not been finished." Christian said. "No executive decision has been made. We will stay until Queen Elsa and Captain Kai return."

"How sure are you that they'll come back?" Hans asked, bitterly.

"I'm positive." Christian said. "That man was a thug. I'm sure the Queen and Captain will have no trouble dealing with a thug."

"That's not a very nice thing to call someone, is it?" said a female voice coming from the balcony.

Everyone turned to see who it was. A woman stood on the balcony. She had to daggers strapped to one side of her waist and one pistol strapped to the other. Her dark red hair went down to her shoulders, and her light brown eyes showed intimidation.

"Not another one..." whispered one of the guests.

"Who are you?" asked Christian.

The woman stepped into the room and off the balcony. "Unlike my man back there, I'm a bit more... sociable. My name is Lilith and you are my prisoners."

"What are you talking about?!" asked the King of Corona.

Lilith smiled and snapped her fingers. Two men jumped onto the balcony from above and ran into the room, followed by another pair of men. The pattern kept repeating until there was one man for every monarch or representative. All of the men dressed differently, but they were all obviously from the same organization. They all carried a weapon with them and some of those weapons were stained.

"Now, gentlemen..." Lilith said. "We're going to take a little trip outside."

* * *

Kai and Elsa rushed after the mysterious man throughout the walls of Arendelle. This guy was fast. Faster than anybody Kai had ever faced. Kai was in no position to be entering combat or be committing straining physical activities, but Kai still ran on. Kai ran as fast as he could in his state, but that was still slower than the mystique man. Kai had to struggle to keep his eyes on the man and Elsa had to struggle keeping up with Kai.

Kai and Elsa found themselves chasing the man only through corridors. The man kept to the halls for some reason. He would make random turns while running, and he'd enter another corridor. There were no guards patrolling the castle that night. The corridors were clear. The one night security was low was the one night they were attacked.

Elsa wanted to freeze the floor to make it harder for the man to run, but she knew that it would also make it harder for Kai. Kai wasn't necessarily the best at ice skating, and Elsa didn't want taking this man down a challenge for Kai. She feared that it would be hurting them more than it would hurt their assailant.

Kai shot a fireball at the man, and without looking, the man slid on the ground and watched as the fireball flew over his face. Kai now learned another thing about their enemy; he had quick and flawless reactions. The man kicked himself up and continued running. While the man was on the floor, Kai and Elsa were able to get closer to the man but there was still a fair distance between them.

As they were chasing him through a corridor, a perfect idea came up in Elsa's mind. She could easily trap him. Elsa raised her arms up and a icy wall formed in front of the running man, and he was about to crash into it. But, the man wouldn't be taken down that easily. The man stopped right before he hit the wall and took out his sword. At the speed of light, the man struck at the ice wall. He kicked it down and it shattered immediately. The man looked over his shoulder and started to sprint ahead when he saw Elsa and Kai near him.

They were in awe. Never before have they seen someone with such skill. Kai couldn't imagine how this man's sword fighting skills were. He was the most impressive enemy they've ever seen.

The man stopped running, looked to his left, and saw a window. He looked back at Kai and Elsa who were covering the distance between them. The man kicked the window and the glass shattered. The man jumped out right when Kai and Elsa got to his position. Kai looked out the window and looked down. He saw that the man was running on the lower level's roof that extended out.

"He's good." Elsa said.

"I'm better." Kai said.

Kai jumped out the window and landed on the roof. He then started to sprint at the man while shooting fireballs, but the man dodged every single one of them. He was getting tired of getting fireballs shot at him, so he stopped running and turned around to face Kai.

The man pulled out four knives and held them all in the same hand. With his other hand, he took a knife and threw it at Kai. Kai shot a blast of fire at the knife, sending it off course and away from Kai. The man threw another knife and Kai shot it down as it flew towards him. The third knife came right towards Kai's face and he moved his head to the side, making the knife miss it's target. The fourth knife would be useful to Kai. Kai grabbed the blade as it flew towards his chest and held the knife in his hand. Kai threw the knife back to the man, but the man kicked it away when it got close enough.

The man turned around to continued running, but he found Elsa standing behind him, holding an ice sword in her hands. The man didn't know where Elsa came from, but when he looked up, he saw an open window above where she stood. The man took a step back, but he felt the tip of a sword on the back of his neck. He moved his head to find Kai holding a sword behind him.

The man took his sword, stabbed it on the surface below them, and held the handle with his hands.

"You got me." The man told Elsa. He then turned around to look at Kai. "Just kidding." The man said.

"Why?" Elsa asked.

The man turned toward Elsa in the opposite direction of where he turned toward Kai. The man smiled as the wood below them creaked. The man then fell down through the roof with a hole below him. When Kai and Elsa weren't noticing, the man cut a hole below him with his sword and he used that to his advantage. The man fell into the empty ballroom below them.

Kai and Elsa looked down thought the hole to see where the man was, and they saw him standing there, smiling. Kai jumped through the hole, followed by Elsa. A new thing about the enemy; he was cunning and knew many things about escaping.

Their assailant entered a battle stance with his sword and so did Kai. Elsa tried to mimic Kai's position as best she could. She was no fighter, but she knew how to handle a sword. Kai taught and practiced with her many months ago. Elsa hoped that those skills would prove useful in what was to come. Elsa and Kai liked their chances. Two powered people versus one skilled fighter.

They stood in the empty ballroom. The entire area was clear and perfect for fighting. Kai slowly circled around the man, but the man didn't move. He turned his head so that he could see both Kai and Elsa. The sword felt heavy in Kai's hands and it hurt his shoulder. He tried to conceal the pain. During his bandit days, Kai learned that if one showed pain or fear before a battle, they had already lost.

Kai was the first to make a move. He took his sword and struck it down on the man, but the man blocked the attack. Elsa had the perfect opportunity to attack. The man had let his guard down on Elsa, making it easy for her to take him down. But, Elsa couldn't attack him with her ice sword. She couldn't bring herself to possibly kill the man. Kai noticed her hesitation and let his guard down.

The man kicked Kai's gut and Kai let their sword locking go. Kai put his hand over his stomach and slouched over. Never had he been kicked that hard ever before. Kai looked up just in time before the man's sword met Kai's head. Kai jumped back and avoided his death. Kai then swung his sword at the man but he blocked it. The man pushed Kai's sword away with his own and made his own strike which Kai blocked.

The man took his sword up, and hit Kai's head with the hilt of it. Kai fell to the floor in pain, and the man raised his sword for the finishing blow. But, before the blade could touch Kai, Elsa's ice sword blocked the strike. Elsa stood next to Kai's body, blocking the man's attack.

The assailant backed away from Elsa and entered his battle stance, and Elsa entered hers.

"You can't expect to beat me." The man said.

"I don't, but I can try." Elsa said.

Elsa swung her blade at the man's head, knowing what would happen if she did touch him. She would attack, with no intention to kill, but the probability of killing. It reminded her of Kai. Kai would always attack with lethal weapons, yet he had never killed. Death never came upon Kai's hands. Elsa didn't know how he did it, but she knew that he would expect deaths when he fought, but no deaths ever came. It was strange for sure, but Kai was okay with not taking lives.

The man quickly slashed his blade upward to meet hers, and Elsa's sword shattered when the blades met. Her sword was too weak compared to the attacker's. The man swung his sword, ready to kill Elsa, but stopped it right before it touched her neck. She is not to be killed, the man thought. Elsa, without hesitating, aimed her hands at the man and froze him.

Elsa smiled. "Got you." She said.

Elsa walked to Kai and helped him up. He had his hand over his nose bridge.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked.

Kai removed his hand, showing the cut on his nose and around the cut was a big bruise.

"This wasn't necessarily the best night of my life." Kai joked.

Elsa created an ice cube in her hands and gave it to Kai. Kai out the cube over his nose and thanked Elsa. Kai looked past Elsa's shoulder and found the frozen man shaking. Elsa heard the rattling ice and turned around to see what was happening. Miraculously, the ice around the man shattered, and he stood there unfrozen. He took a frosty breath and frosts covered his clothes.

"Chilly." The man said.

When Kai took a step closer to the man, he ran off immediately. He bolted towards the door that led to the main hall. Kai followed him, but due to his injury, was too slow to catch up. The man opened and closed the door behind him. That was odd defensive strategy. Kai certainly didn't expect him to close the door in order to get away.

Kai ran to the door and opened it, expecting the man to be running ahead of him. When Kai opened the door, a barrel of a pistol met his face. Kai's eyes widened just as the man was to pull the trigger. But, Elsa was able to intervene in time. She held out her arms and created an ice wall in between the two men where the door should be. They heard the gunshot on the other side of the wall, and Kai saw the bullet on the ice. Cracks grew around the bullet.

Kai saw the silhouette of the man on the other side of the ice.

"See you around." The man said. Then, the silhouette disappeared, meaning the man had just escaped.

Kai clenched his fists and turned back toward Elsa. "I had him!" Kai yelled. "You let him get away!"

"What? No thank you?" Elsa said.

"I could've beat him!" Kai said.

"You would've died if I didn't do that!" Elsa countered.

That was true. Kai was paralyzed at the site of the pistol. He couldn't have dodged it in time. Elsa did what she could to save him. This would be the first time in their relationship where Kai ever got angry at Elsa. In reality, Kai wasn't mad at Elsa, but he was mad at himself because he lost the fight. Kai didn't like to lose.

"I'm sorry..." Kai said.

Elsa looked down at her feet. Kai's apology didn't matter to her right now. She was too busy wondering what was the whole point of all of this. What had the man accomplished? The man intends to ruin the peace council, but he just attacks the two and runs away. What did he expect to do? Unless...

"We have to get back to the meeting." Elsa said.

Kai nodded. Elsa ran up next to Kai and in front of the ice wall. She turned the wall into snowflakes, making it disappear. Then, they ran into the main hall, up the stairs, and into a corridor. They made their way to the room that the meeting was being held. It was pretty much empty. No one was there except for an unconscious Hans, whose upper body was on the table.

There was no way that the people evacuated through the corridor. They were no where to be seen throughout the castle, and outside. Where they had gone was a mystery.

"This isn't good..." Kai said.

Then, they ran towards Hans to find out what happened.

* * *

Author's Note: I hate to make you guys wait for a chapter, but summer is almost here, and when it comes, no need to wait long (unless I'm on vacation). If you want, ship Kai and Elsa in the reviews/comments!


	11. The Morning After

**Chapter XI: The Morning After**

* * *

Kai and Elsa stood on opposite sides of the unconscious Hans. His head lay on the table, and his arms lay on its sides. They looked around to see if there was anyone else hidden from their sights, and they realized it was just the three of them in the room. What had happened to the others? Kai and Elsa needed to find out.

Kai shook Hans until one of his eyes opened up. Hans slowly opened both of his eyes and lifted his body off of the table. He rubbed the back of his head as if it hurt.

"What happened?!" Elsa asked Hans.

"They... When you guys left to chase that guy down," Hans said, "a woman and other thugs came in through the balcony. They surrounded us all, and knocked us out. I was dazed, but not fully unconscious. I saw them take the others outside through the balcony. I fell unconscious after that."

Kai and Elsa understood their plan perfectly now. The man they chased was just a distraction; a diversion. He was only there to get them out of the room for the others to come in and kidnap the monarchs and representatives. Kai and Elsa were the only ones who could stop the kidnapping, and they knew that. That's why they were lured out of the room.

I'm such a fool, Elsa thought.

Now, everything was ruined. These assailants took the nobles to who knows where, and Kai, Elsa, and Hans didn't know what they were going to do to them. Things weren't good for Arendelle. War would be declared for sure since harm had come to the visitors. This was exactly what Elsa was afraid of. She had failed her country, and she didn't know what to do.

"Hans," Kai said, "why weren't you taken as well?"

Hans shrugged. "I don't know..."

"You don't know?!" Kai said angrily. "Isn't funny that the one who is spared is the one who wants war most of all?"

"What are you suggesting, Captain?" Hans asked angrily.

"I'm suggesting that this whole thing was a set up."

"Are you accusing me of planning this?!"

Kai nodded. It made sense, and all of the pieces fit together perfectly. Hans knew that the other kingdoms would agree to peace with Arendelle, and so he wouldn't get the war he craved for. So, to ensure war, he would've hired these assailants to get what he wanted.

"I had nothing to do with this!" Hans said.

"Do you expect me to just believe you?!" Kai asked.

"Yes! Why would I have my own brothers kidnapped?!"

"Why don't you tell me?"

Hans was losing his patience with Kai. Hans couldn't believe why Kai was too quick to accuse Hans of such a deed, though he couldn't blame him. This sounded like something Hans would do. Hans had to keep his innocence.

"How do I know that _you _aren't responsible for this?!" Hans asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Elsa said.

"It makes sense. War can't be declared without an executive order from a monarch. So, to save yourself the trouble from a few countries, you hired thugs to kidnap those monarchs so that executive decision can't be made!"

"Are you serious, Hans?" Kai asked.

"But, kidnapping everyone here still isn't enough for you to be safe." Hans continued. "My father and brother will be ready to declare war once I give them the news. Also, so will the other countries who have monarchs to give that executive order."

"Your theory is bizarre!" Elsa yelled. "That's not at all the case!"

"Why should I believe you?" Hans asked.

"Why should _anyone _believe _you_!" Kai yelled.

"I've had enough of this!" Hans yelled. He stood up from his chair and walked toward the exit of the room. Hans turned his head to look back at Kai and Elsa. "My brothers are gone and that's your responsibility." He said. "You know what happens next."

Elsa nodded. She knew perfectly well what was to come; war. Even though Elsa or Kai was involved with the kidnappings, they are to be blamed for it. They had to take the punishment for the crimes of others. Life wasn't fair. Things were worse for Elsa than they were ever before. The peace council, instead of preventing their demise, secured their doom. She couldn't let that happen. She had to do something about it.

"I'll hold a meeting in the morning about our... predicament." Elsa said.

"I'll be sure to attend." Hans said. Hans left the room, and without showing them, he left with a smile on his face. As things got worse for Elsa, things got better for him. He would get the war he wanted, and he was hopeful.

Elsa sat down on a chair and Kai sat next to her. She slammed her hand on the table, and ice grew all over it. Spikes shot out of the ice but Kai was too busy looking at Elsa than at the table.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked Elsa.

"Of course I'm not." Elsa said. "Everything fell apart so quickly. I came in here hopeful and ready to change things."

"And now?" Kai asked.

"What hope do we have?" Elsa asked.

"We can still change things." Kai said.

"How? In days, Arendelle will be reduced to rubble if we don't get those people back."

Bingo. The idea clicked in Elsa's mind when she said that. All she needed to do was get those people back, assuming they weren't already dead, and hopefully, war would not be declared. Why didn't she tell Hans of this plan? It didn't matter now. All that mattered was the execution.

"We have to get those people back." Elsa said.

"I know we do." Kai said. "But not yet."

"Why not?"

"Those guys are long gone by now, and if we do start searching, we won't know where to go. We'll be as blind as a bat."

Kai had a point. They knew almost nothing about their enemy or their whereabouts. They were long gone by now with the monarchs. They had nothing on their enemy. The enemy had the upper hand, and Kai and Elsa weren't even close to catching up. It seemed as though they had lost. But, they couldn't lose hope. If they lost hope, they _have _lost. They haven't lost anything serious yet, and they weren't prepared to lose now.

"Are there any other visitors from other countries here in Arendelle who didn't attend the meeting?" Elsa asked.

Kai nodded. "They were all told to stay in the plaza once they got off of their ship."

"They have to know." Elsa said.

"We shouldn't worry them tonight." Kai said.

"They'll ask questions."

"We won't provide answers."

"They'll get suspicious."

"Let them. It won't matter. They'll find out everything they'll need to know tomorrow morning."

"How do we keep them from leaving?"

"We close the port. No one gets in or out. They'll be stuck here for tonight, and they'll come to the meeting tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll send someone to tell them what's going on."

"Elsa?" said Anna's voice.

Elsa and Kai looked over at the door to find Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf standing there. They all had confused looks on their faces. Elsa reminded herself that Anna had no idea what was going on, and she had to be the one to break it down for her.

"Where is everyone?" Anna asked.

Elsa took a deep breath before she told Anna the bad news.

* * *

The visitors who were not kidnapped were reluctant to be kept in the dark. When they were told they were not to leave until the next day, questions broke out. No one was happy not knowing what was going on. They didn't know about the kidnappers yet. No one slept that night since they were all wondering what the heck was going on.

Elsa held a meeting with them the next morning. This time, it took place in the castle chapel and security was tight. Guards patrolled every corner of the castle, not willing to let last night's fiasco happen again. It was a mistake that most of them weren't on guard last night. Elsa wasn't willing to let that same mistake come again. Kai was embarrassed of the guards. He was suppose to be their leader, and because of their lack of duty, Arendelle might lose everything.

When Anna heard the news, she was scared at first, but was then determined to prevent war. She didn't want it to end like that, not after everything they've been through. Anna was determined to help Elsa with this meeting, and Elsa wasn't one to reject help now. Not when she needed it most.

The visitors sat in the chairs in the chapel. Elsa stood at the alter with Kai handing next to her. Anna and Kristoff stood at the side of the alter, watching Elsa. Once again, Olaf and Sven weren't allowed to attend this meeting. Hans sat in the front row with his arms crossed, watching intensely.

"I have called you all here this morning for a reason." Elsa said.

"It better be a good reason!" Yelled a man in the crowd. "We've been kept here all night!" Agrees broke among the crowd, followed by whispers.

Elsa looked at Kai, telling him mentally to take charge of the situation. Elsa took a step back and Kai took a step forward.

"Last night..." Kai said, "Last night, Arendelle Castle was attacked. All of those who attended the peace council was kidnapped except for Queen Elsa, Hans Westerguard, and I."

Yelling broke out among the crowd. People got out of their seats and raised some fists in the air. Neither Kai nor Elsa could focus on a single person. Hans still sat cross-armed, frowning.

"Who attacked?!" yelled a female voice. The crowd's voices died down, and there was a silence. Everyone turned their heads to the girl who asked the question. Everyone sat down, revealing the one who said it. Rapunzel was left standing up, looking at Elsa and Kai. Eugene sat next to her, looking up at his wife.

"I ask again." Rapunzel said. "Who attacked?"

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff remembered Rapunzel. They met her a few months ago during Anna and Kristoff's wedding. Those were happier times.

Kai cleared his throat. "We don't have names. But, I remember a face."

"How does that help?!" asked a male in the crowd.

"It's better than nothing." Kai said.

"It's not enough!" yelled another man.

Hans stood up and everyone focused their attention on the Prince. Hans cleared his throat, and turned to face the majority of the crowd.

"I can give you a name." Hans said.

Kai wasn't surprised that Hans knew something. He was a witness after all, but Kai expected Hans to mislead him.

"There was a woman who attacked." Hans said. "She said her name was Lilith."

"Why haven't you shared this information before?!" Anna asked.

"No one asked." Hans smiled.

"Assume we want to know everything." Kai said. "Anything else you're hiding?"

"Hiding?!" Hans asked offended. "Here you go, once again, accusing me."

Whispers broke out. Now was not a time to take sides, but they were doing it anyway. People were arguing with each other instead of being one calm, collected mind. There was no way they could accomplish anything like this. In order come up with a solution, they had to work together. Great start...

"I have reason to believe you're responsible for this attack!" Kai said.

"A hunch is not enough evidence!" Hans countered.

"This is just part of your plan to declare war on Arendelle!" Kai yelled.

"It is not!"

"Enough!" Elsa yelled.

The arguing among Kai, Hans, and the crowd died. Everyone listened silently to see what Elsa had to say. She was sick and tired of the constant bickering. All she wanted to do was protect her kingdom, and that task would be impossible if people couldn't protect themselves from each other.

"Elsa," Hans said, "do you know what this means for Arendelle."

"Is that the conclusion? Hm?" Elsa asked. "War for something Arendelle is not responsible for. You all must believe me when I say we are not involved in this kidnapping. Please. The ancient rules says war must be declared if an event like this ever occurred. But, the ancient rules also said you can't try to overthrow a monarch through murder and manipulation." Elsa looked at Hans who frowned at her statement.

Rapunzel stood up from the crowd to face Elsa. "Why do we have to declare war on Arendelle because of this?" Rapunzel asked the people. "It's not their fault, and they should not be held accountable for this."

Elsa smiled at Rapunzel. At least there was somebody on their side.

Eugene stood up next to Rapunzel. "We won't get anyone back by fighting a war." He said.

Anna walked up next to Elsa. "Please, no one is forcing anyone to fight a war. This ancient rule can be broken for the better." Anna said. Anna slipped her hand into her sister's.

"So..." Elsa said. "Who's declaring war?"

No one raised their hand. They all had a point. This ancient rule was stupid and no one was forcing anyone to follow it. Rules were meant to be broken as it seems. Hans was reluctant to keep his hand down. He wanted the war so badly, but he kept it down since he wanted to look good in front of all of these people.

"Thank you." Elsa said. "Now, please, return to your countries. I will do whatever I can to bring those who were kidnapped back home to you. You have my word."

"When will you start?" asked a woman.

"Whenever we have something to start with." Kai answered for Elsa. "You have nothing to worry about. If they aren't dead, we'll get them back."

Elsa noticed that what Kai just said wasn't necessarily boosting their morale. _If _they aren't dead. Elsa couldn't let herself believe they were dead. She would be making blank promises if they were. She had to believe they were alive.

The people started to get out of their seats to leave. They were all ready to go home, but most of them weren't willing to leave their monarch or representative behind. Most of them were thinking about how they were going to break the news down to their kingdom, and how they were going to refrain from declaring war.

Rapunzel, instead of exiting the chapel, walked up to Elsa, Kai, Anna, and Kristoff. Eugene ran after her, and stood next to her.

"Hi..." Rapunzel said.

"Thanks for backing us up back there." Elsa said.

"Yeah..." Rapunzel said. "Listen, my father was with the ones who were kidnapped. So was my mother."

"I'm so sorry Rapunzel." Anna said. "I know how hard it must be for you right now."

"Yeah..." Rapunzel said.

Eugene looked at his wife with worried eyes. He knew that it was time to tell them the truth behind their parents'. Eugene noticed that Rapunzel was in no mood to talk about it, so he decided he would have to be the one.

"I'd like to apologize." Eugene said.

"For what?" Elsa asked.

"For your parents' deaths about five years ago." Eugene answered.

"You don't owe us an apology." Anna said.

"We do." Eugene said. "They died on their way to our wedding."

Eugene waited for a shocked reaction from anyone, but it didn't come. He was confused. He thought that they would be angry at him for indirectly causing the deaths of their parents.

"So what?" Elsa asked.

"You're not mad?" Rapunzel asked.

"Why would we be?" Anna said.

"That was a long time ago." Elsa said. "It's not like _you two_ killed them. The past is in the past, and we should just forget about it."

Rapunzel was rejoiced. She was relieved that they had taken the news so well. She could sleep easier now, but not by much. Though the pressure of telling them the news went away, the fear for her parents came in.

"You should go home, Rapunzel." Kristoff said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Rapunzel said. Everyone, even Eugene, looked at Rapunzel confused.

"Why not?" Kai asked.

"Because my mom and dad are who-knows-where, and for all I know, they could be dead, or tortured, or..." She couldn't imagine the things that were happening to them right now. She was scared for the first time in her life. Rapunzel was always so brave, but now, she had never felt so scared.

"I'm not leaving without my parents." Rapunzel said firmly.

Eugene put his hand on her shoulder. "Wherever you are, I'll be there." Eugene said.

Elsa nodded. "I understand. You may stay in Arendelle Castle while your here."

"Hopefully, you won't stay for long." Kai said.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Rapunzel asked angrily.

"It means, we'll get the King and Queen of Corona back before you know it." Kai answered.

"I appreciate it." Eugene said. Eugene smacked his hand over Kai's hurt shoulder, and Eugene saw him cringe. He took his hand away immediately. "Sorry." Eugene apologized.

"It's alright." Kai said. "You didn't know."

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" Rapunzel asked.

"A lot." Kai answered.

Rapunzel and Eugene were ready to leave. Elsa told Anna and Kristoff to show where they would be staying. The two couples walked out of the chapel, happy that the meeting was over. Now, Kai and Elsa stood alone at the alter. They didn't realize that Hans was still sitting in his seat. The couple's eyes got angry as Hans walked toward them.

"What a morning, huh guys?" Hans asked happily.

"Don't act like we're friends." Kai said.

"Oh, I know." Hans said. "We're far from that."

"Far is an understatement." Elsa said. "You tried to kill me."

"Are we still on about that?" Hans asked. "Trust me, Elsa, I wasn't the first person who tried too, am I? Last night, that would only be the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"I have a feeling you're going to be getting more familiar with your assailant last night." Hans answered.

"You seem to know a lot about this." Kai said, skeptically. This was a huge red flag. Kai was now sure Hans was involved somehow, but he didn't have enough proof that Hans was directly involved.

"Ta-Ta." Hans said. Elsa's eyes got angry as Hans walked away from them, his backed turned. Hans continued to taunt. "When I get home, I _will_ convince my father to declare war. Our navy will be sent down to you pathetic port, and they will open fire. Cannon balls shall rain from the sky, and I hope you watch it. Watch from your little tower in the castle. Watch your pathetic civilians die at the hands of my army. It'll be Armageddon. I hope you survive this storm, Elsa, because if you do, you'll live out the rest of your miserable life knowing that the blood of hundreds are on your hands. You would've failed to save them. I guess, that's the worst thing you can have on your mind."

Elsa felt her wrist being grabbed. She broke out of her anger to noticed what she was doing. She saw that her arm was raised in the air, and an icy spear was in her hands. Kai was grabbing her wrist, preventing her from throwing the spear. She couldn't believe she intended on killing Hans. She turned the spear into snowflakes when Hans turned around to look at them.

Hans gave them a villainous smirk. "I can't wait to see how the next couple of days will play out." Hans said. With that, Hans opened the door out of the chapel and left.

Now, it was just Elsa and Kai alone in the chapel... or so they thought.

"Violent, much?" asked a familiar voice.

The couldn't pinpoint exactly where they heard the voice, but they knew they weren't alone in the chapel. The voice angered Kai much. It was the voice of their assailant last night; the brown haired man.

Kai took out his sword, and Elsa created an ice sword.

"Show yourself!" Kai demanded.

From the shadows behind them, the man showed his face, with hands in the air. Kai let his instincts kick in when he saw the man. Kai rushed at him with his sword in the air. When Kai swung down at the man, the man grabbed Kai's wrist, preventing the sword from touching his body. He then punched Kai's hurt shoulder as hard as he can, making Kai yell in agony and fall to the ground. Kai was in too much pain to use his powers.

Elsa started to run toward the man, but the man quickly took out his flintlock and aimed it at Kai.

"One more step, and your boyfriend's brains will be all over the floor." The man threatened.

Elsa stopped moving, and made her ice sword disappear. "Don't hurt him." Elsa pleaded.

The man room his foot and out it over Kai's shoulder. He then pressed his foot down, making Kai yell again. Elsa thought to herself, how could no one noticed his yells? Elsa then asked herself where all the guards in the chapel were. She looked around the chapel and found unconscious guards all over the sides of the chapel.

"How did you take them out without us noticing?" Elsa asked.

"You were too busy focusing on Hans back there, you failed to notice your surroundings." The man answered.

"Where are they?" Elsa asked.

"Who?" The man joked.

"The people you kidnapped!" Elsa yelled.

"They're alive." The man said. "But, I'm not just going to give them to you. I felt bad, really, watching you squirm through all of this. I wanted to cut you some slack my name is Cade, and I'll tell you where they are."

Elsa was confused. This man, Cade, and his partners had gone through great measures to take these people, and now he was just giving them up. Elsa didn't trust him, but she needed a lead, even if it could lead to a trap.

"Don't trust him, Elsa." Kai said.

"You'll have to trust me if you want these people back." Cade said. "I'll let you decide whether I'm trustworthy or not." Cade took his foot off of Kai and stood next to his body. Cade took a small ball out of his pocket and threw it on the ground. Smoke appeared all around Kai and Elsa. Elsa covered her mouth to make sure she didn't breath any of it in.

When the smoke cleared up, Cade was gone. Elsa ran to Kai's aid, and she helped him sit upright.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked Kai.

"He got away, again!" Kai yelled.

"Sorry about that." Elsa said.

Elsa noticed that at Kai's feet was a knife sticking out of the ground. Kai leaned forward to take the knife out, and sticking on the knife's blade was a small piece of paper. Kai took the paper and opened it up. He read numbers that Elsa didn't get.

"What are they?" Elsa asked.

"They're coordinates..." Kai answered.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys. Reviews have been kind of... How should I say this? Nonexistent for chapter 10, but oh well. For the next week or two, I'll be on vacation, so don't expect many or any chapter posts for those weeks, but don't worry. Chapters will be up before you know it. Consider this a benchmark chapter. Now, the "set-up" chapters are over, and we'll get to the main adventure soon enough. Now would be a perfect time to write reviews and tell me how you think of the story so far. Ciao.


	12. Set In Motion

**Chapter XII: Set In Motion**

* * *

"Coordinates to where?" Elsa asked.

Kai kneeled down, holding the paper with coordinates while Elsa stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. They didn't understand why Cade would go so far to kidnap those people and then just give away their location. How could they know Cade was telling the truth? They didn't. But, what Cade gave them is something to start with, even if he _was _lying to them.

"I don't know exactly." Kai answered. "But I recognize the area to which some of these numbers point to. It points to somewhere in the country."

"So... out of the city?" Elsa asked.

Kai nodded. They assumed that Cade and his partner, Lilith, had taken the monarchs far away from the city, but neither Kai or Elsa would've thought it was somewhere close. Kai studied the numbers more carefully. He didn't know the exact location to where the coordinates were, but if he was just given a bit more time and a map, he would know where to go. As Kai grew up with the Bandits, he was taught how to read coordinates, and though Kai never found it to be useful, it was useful now.

"I don't get it." Elsa said. "Why is Cade helping us? He tried to kill us last night, tried to fuel the war, and now he's giving us freebees. What does he gain from this?"

Elsa was more confused than she was ever before in her life. She couldn't understand the mentality of their villain. Never before had she seen or heard of anyone considered bad give away this kind of information.

"I don't know if I can answer that." Kai said. "But, I'm sure it's a trap."

"Obviously." Elsa said. "Why else would he give away that kind of information?"

"This guy is cunning." Kai said. "He's too smart to not know that we'll assume it's a trap."

"Are you saying he's telling the truth?"

Kai shrugged. He didn't know what to think of it right now. They didn't know what was going on in Cade's mind or whatever nasty thing he was plotting. All they knew was that they got some coordinates that may or may not lead them to a trap. It was true that Cade was too smart to not know what Kai and Elsa will assume. That's what threw Kai off. Kai believed that it was a possibilty Cade was telling the truth, but even if he was, Kai still wouldn't trust Cade.

"I'm not saying that, yet." Kai said. "But, it's possible that he may be telling us the truth."

"Why would he do that?" Elsa asked.

"I can't answer that. But, I suspect that he doesn't believe we'll trust him." Kai said.

"So, that means he'll think that _we _think it's a trap."

"Therefore, he could've given us the correct area since he might believe we won't go."

"Reverse psychology." Elsa said.

Kai nodded. Reverse psychology was something Kai expected a man like Cade would do. Both Kai and Elsa were impressed with each other's deduction skills.

"But," Elsa said, "he still could be lying."

"I know, but we have to try don't we. This is all we have so far, and it's better than nothing." Kai said.

"Also, if this _was _the right place, I don't think he'll just let us take them back."

"We'll be prepared." Kai said. "We can take him down."

Elsa gave Kai a saddened look. She didn't _want _Kai to take him down. It never ended well for Kai whenever he tried. Elsa couldn't bear seeing Kai being tortured a few minutes earlier. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Kai must've felt. For Kai, he had never felt so much pain before in his life. Cade stepping on his wound was more painful for Kai than when he got shot. Kai's shoulder was throbbing and stinging, but he didn't want to show it to Elsa since he didn't want her to worry about him. Kai should've known better since Elsa would've worried about him either way.

Cade was bad news for Kai. It seems as though Kai met his match. For Kai, it seemed that he would never win a battle with Cade. Their battles would only end in one of two ways; a stalemate, or Cade having the upper hand. Around them, unconscious guards ay on the floor, and that was Cade's doing. It angered Kai not being able to stand up against Cade when Kai was down. As a Bandit, he was always told that pain should not bother him, but now for some reason, pain bothered him more than ever. I should have never gotten shot, Kai thought to himself.

"Kai..." Elsa said. "I think it's best you settle down for a bit."

"What?" Kai asked, confused.

"I think it's best you and Cade never share a room together again." Elsa answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"This guy is bad news for us, Kai. Especially you."

"I can fight him!"

"He almost killed you! It never ended well for your body whenever you face off against him."

"He didn't do much to me the first time we fought." Kai countered.

"If I wasn't there with you, he would've shot you!"

"But-"

"Please, Kai. You can help in whatever way you can. I won't stop you from that. Just... promise me you won't seek a fight with this guy. He _will _kill you, and it'll be easier for him in your current state. I just want you to wake up every morning." Elsa looked down at the floor. "I lost you once already." She whispered. "I won't lose you again."

Kai took Elsa's hands and she looked up at him. Kai realized that Elsa was more concerned for him than _he _was. He hadn't realized that for every fight he's been in, he was too cocky and was basically throwing his life around like a ball, never once considering the consequences. His belief in his ability to fight made him cocky, and that wasn't a good habit. Kai's will to fight came from the prize of victory. He always won, never thinking about losing. Kai was never willing to lost, not to anyone. When Kai was fighting Deren back in Teranhall all those months ago, even though he knew he was going to turn into solid ice, Kai still fought Deren, intent on victory. Kai didn't plan to lost to Cade, and that might be his downfall.

"So, what's the plan?" Kai asked Elsa.

"I don't know if I trust Cade. I don't think we should just blindly walk into what could be a trap." Elsa answered.

"We can't just sit around and do nothing." Kai said.

"So, what do you want me to do? Send a bunch of soldiers to these coordinates and then realize that they're never returning?! We need to play it safe."

"We need to know what's there! There's got to be a clue down there or something."

"Or, there's nothing there but death!"

They hated arguing with each other. Very few times have they had different views on something, and wheneverthey did, they would have a heated debate. There were flaws abd upsides to both of their plans. If it went Elsa's way, they wouldn't be risking the trap, but they would not progress at all in finding those who were taken. If it went Kai's way, it could be a trap and they would lose something, or it could not be a trap, and Cade would be telling the truth.

They heard groans coming from all around the room. Some of the knocked out guards were starting to wake up and rub the parts of their body where they have been hit. Others were still sleeping though they would eventually get up.

Elsa sighed. "I don't think it should just be up to us to decide." Elsa said. "Other people have to know."

Kai nodded. "I'll go call some guards. Anna and Kristoff also need to be informed of this. I also believe that Rapunzel and Eugene deserve to know."

Elsa nodded in agreement. "_I'll _call everyone over. You can stay here and make sure everyone gets up okay." Kai looked around the chapel at the guards. They were either dazed or sleeping.

When Kai turned back to look at Elsa, she was already jogging to the door out. "I love you, sweetheart!" Elsa said before she left the chapel. It was as if their entire argument never occured which was fine with Kai. He couldn't be bitter at her for something like this.

Kai smiled. "I love you too..." He said. "Alright men, get up!" He yelled. "Yes, you were knocked out, but nap time is over! Get up and stop sleeping on the job!"

* * *

"I'm glad you took the time to meet up with me."

"It's really hard to have a private conversation now with guards all over the city."

"But, we managed."

"Yeah... What is this about?"

"I just wanted to remind you about the plan."

"What do you think I am? An idiot? I don't need to be reminded about it."

"Well, great. I just wanted to make sure."

"You should trust me more. We won't get anywhere if we don't cooperate as one mind."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course I don't."

"As I'd expect from you."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"I just thought of you as the lone wolf type of person."

"To be honest, I can get from A to Z with or without help, so it doesn't really matter."

"Okay, I trust you to get the job done."

"Don't worry about it. Don't worry about _them_."

"Them?"

"Our little hostages. Lilith is keeping them company."

"I won't worry. But, at least try to be gentle with them."

"I'll ask her to try, but she may or may not listen."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter as long as they're alive."

"They've never been better."

"Is that suppose to be funny?"

"Lighten up, will 'ya. So, when does the ship leave?"

"Right now they're stocking the ship with supplies and repairing some things."

"What was broken?"

"I don't know. I'm not a ship expert, but whatever their doing is apparently critical for our safety. The ship leaves sometime between the afternoon and night, which means it'll arrive at it's destination in the morning tomorrow."

"Okay, now I know where to be and when. Nice talking to you."

"Was that sarcasm I heard in your voice?"

"Does it matter?"

"No. What _does _matter though is you getting the job done."

"It'll get done."

"Remember, you only do your job if things don't go my way."

"What's the probability of that?"

"Likely."

"This is some dark business you're getting involved in."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you. Dark business is how you make a living."

"It's just that I wouldn't expect it from you, although I've seen your work before."

"Impressed?"

"You're too sloppy; leaving too many holes in your plan."

"It was sort of a last minute plan."

"And now?"

"Now, it's anything but last minute."

* * *

Elsa, Kai, Anna, Rapunzel, and Eugene were all sitting around a small table. Kristoff and a few guards were standing around the room. Kai had the coordinates in his hands, studying it very carefully. He figured out where it led to a few minutes ago. It led to a spot in Arendelle's untamed forest, a fair distance away. Elsa and Kai previously explained their entire encounter with Cade to the others.

"So, what's the plan?" Anna asked Kai.

"Right now, the way I see it, we only have two options." Kai said. "Option number one. We assume that it may not be a trap, and we go to this place."

"Option number two." Elsa said. "We play it safe and forget about this place."

"Then what?" Kristoff asked Elsa. "We just sit around, waiting for their next move?"

"That's all we _can _do for that option." Elsa answered.

Kristoff was having the same mentality as Kai. He wanted to strike first before they do. He was willing to take the risk that it was a trap if it meant they would progress.

"Okay, even if it was a trap." Eugene said. "Don't you think there will be at least a clue there telling us where the right place is?"

Rapunzel nodded. "There's got to be at least _something _useful over there."

"Or, it could just be a ditch that you can never get out of." Elsa countered.

Right now, Elsa didn't like her odds. Kai, Kristoff, Eugene, and Rapunzel were all against her on this argument. Were they too blind to see the trap if there was one? No, they knew very well of risking a trap, but to them, it was worth it. They would do anything they could if it meant they might get the kidnapped back.

"Anna? What do you think?" Elsa asked.

Anna looked at Elsa with a guilty look on her face. "I'm sorry Elsa, but I have to agree with them on this."

"What?" Elsa asked surprised.

"You know that I'm with you on everything." Anna continued. "But, what they say is true. If it means getting the taken back, I'll be willing to take a risk like this."

Elsa couldn't believe her sister. Anna had sided with Elsa with so many decisions ever since Elsa stopped isolating herself from everyone, but now since serious matters were at hand, Anna had to do what she thought was right. To all except Elsa, the risk was worth it. Then, Elsa realized that some of her guards also have a say in the discussion.

"Guards!" Elsa said. The guards snapped their feet together and hit the ground with the butt of their spear. "What do you think we should do?"

"Queen Elsa," one guard said, "though we are forever loyal to you, our military tactics, strategies, and thoughts all mirror that of our Captain. I'm sorry my Queen."

Now, Elsa was officially alone in the matter. Though she had the executive decision, she couldn't just ignore the say of those she invited. Maybe they're right, Elsa thought. There was a reason why they thought the way they did, and maybe Elsa failed to see the truth behind that reason. The only reason Elsa didn't want to risk it was because she didn't want to waste any men. She's already lost a lot.

Elsa took a deep breath, and then sighed. "Fine." She said. "I'll send troops to these coordinates."

"We still can't ignore the probability of this being a trap. They'll need some time to prepare and train. They'll have to be ready for anything."

"Are any of _us _going?" Eugene asked.

"I'll go." Anna volunteered.

There was a silence in the room. No one could believe that Anna was this willing to throw herself into a could-be trap. Anna was always adventurous, but she wasn't this stupid. She was stupid enough to marry a guy she just met, but she was smart enough to know she would be facing threats far over what she had faced.

"I want to help." Anna elaborated. "I want to be useful to end this."

"Anna, you're not going." Elsa said.

"What?"

"It's too dangerous. You'll get yourself killed out there."

"I survived just fine the last time I went on an adventure." Anna pointed out.

"This isn't an adventure." Elsa said. "This is an official Arendelle mission, and only the best of the best qualify for this mission."

"So, what you're going to send Kai with them?" Anna asked. Anna felt as though, recently, Elsa has been showing more affection to Kai. Anna wouldn't use the word jealous, but she was getting annoyed by it the time Elsa had for Kai and not her.

"I'm sitting this one out." Kai said.

"He's in no condition to fight right now, Anna." Elsa said.

"But-" Anna was interrupted.

"I don't want you getting hurt!" Elsa said. That's all it took to end the argument. Anna knew that Elsa wouldn't change her mind about this. Elsa did whatever she could to protect her family, even if it meant breaking their hearts. All Anna wanted was to help, and Elsa had taken that away from her so many times recently. Elsa was just sheltering her.

Anna stood up and walked away from the table. She stormed out of the room, trying to hide her tears.

"I'll bring her back." Kristoff said.

"No." Elsa said. "It's okay. Just... Go out an make sure she's alright."

Kristoff nodded and walked towards the door. Before he left, Kristoff looked back at the table. "I'll trust you decision, guys." With that, Kristoff walked out of the room and after his wife.

"I'll have them prepare. How many shall go?" Kai asked.

"If it's not a trap, I suspect Cade will be expecting us there and many more."

"So... A small army?" Kai asked.

Elsa nodded. "Sufficient enough."

"What if that's not enough?" Rapunzel asked.

"It's enough." Kai assured.

"What if it's not?" Rapunzel asked again. "The way you described Cade. I think he's too much for this army to handle."

"They'll be ready for him." Eugene assured.

"He'll be ready for _them!_" Rapunzel said. "I just want to assure my parents' safety.

"I want to assure my guards' safety!" Elsa said. "If we send more people, and it turns out to be a trap, do you have any idea what we'll lose. We'll be defenseless, and they could attack again."

"But-"

"You aren't the Queen, Rapunzel! Stop making demands!" Elsa said.

Rapunzel knew she wasn't getting anywhere with Elsa. She now knew how Anna felt. It was obvious that the discussion was over, and a choice had been made. Rapunzel didn't feel like staying in the room any longer.

"Excuse me." Rapunzel said. She got up and so did Eugene. Together, they walked out of the room.

Elsa hated arguing. It annoyed her so much. But, she could never avoid arguments. They were always inevitable and she always had to deal with them. That came with being Queen; there were always those who disagreed with you, even friends and family.

"We should brief those who are being sent." Kai said.

"Yeah..." Elsa whispered.

Together, they stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

The next morning in the Southern Isles...

Hans stood in front of his father who was sitting on his throne, ready to listen to what needed to be said. Ander stood next to his father's throne with his arms crossed, giving Hans an angry look. Both Ander and the King were confused to what was going on. They wondered why it was only Hans in front of them and not the other brothers.

The captain of the ship that Hans was on stood next to Hans. He was sent to accompany Hans for this little meeting to make sure the things Hans said were accurate, otherwise, the captain was not allowed to talk.

"What happened, my son?" The King asked Hans.

"We were at the meeting, all twelve of us. Things were going smoothly until we were attacked."

"Attacked?!" Ander asked.

Hans nodded. "A man intruded the meeting and Queen Elsa and her Captain of the Guard, Kai, chased and fought the man in the castle. Christian told us to stay put, but then a woman and more thugs walked into the room. They knocked us out and took everyone."

"Why were you spared?" Ander asked.

Hans shrugged. "I don't know."

"Let me guess." Ander said. "They put the blame on you."

Hans nodded. Hans wasn't surprised that Ander would assume that, nor was he not surprised that anybody blamed him. Hans understood his reputation wasn't the best, but he didn't think it was fair that fingers would always be pointed to him. Sometimes, though, those fingers would point rightfully so.

"I was not involved with the kidnapping." Hans said.

"I believe him, Ander. Hans wouldn't kidnap his own brothers." The King said, siding with Hans.

"Oh really? Then isn't it funny how the only one who wanted war was spared? With them out of the picture, Hans can now run around, preaching about his beloved bloodshed."

"Leave him be, Ander." The King said.

"My brothers, _your _sons are gone now! Hans could be involved, and it seems to me you're not caring about it at all!" Ander said angrily. Ander's anger nowadays always associated itself with Hans. Hans was the source of Ander's anger, and Ander would do whatever he could to keep this anger at bay.

Of course the King cared about his missing children. They were more important to him than the Southern Isles itself. Sure, he may have ignored many of them as they grew up, but he still loved them. They were all he had after the Queen died. It hurt him knowing the were in danger, and it hurt him seeing his sons fight. He hated seeing Ander bully Hans, so he needed to put a stop to that.

"Leave him alone!" The King told Ander. Ander gave Hans an angry look, but then closed his eyes, and sighed.

Hans smiled because once again, his father sided with him.

"Father, there is an ancient rule stating that because of these events, war must be declared in Arendelle." Hans said.

The King closed his eyes and sighed. He was sick of the war talk, and he was sick of Hans always promoting it. It was time for the King to have a little chat with his son, and it was time to show Hans the negative effects that will happen. The King would not declare war on Arendelle for something that was not their fault.

"Leave us." The King said.

"Father..." Ander said.

"Everyone must leave the throne room immediately, except for Hans." The King continued.

All of the guards in the throne room bowed and walked toward the exits. Hans just stood at his spot staring at his father while others passed him. Ander was reluctant to leave his fathers side, not liking the words that will come out of his brother's mouth. But, if the King ordered it, Ander was forced to follow. Ander walked to the nearest door out and took one last look at Hans before he left. The look on Ander's face told Hans one thing; he didn't trust him.

Now, Hans and the King were alone in the long, grand throne room. Nothing could be heard except for the quite breathing of both men. The King wanted privacy, and he got it. He called for privacy because he didn't want to create tension between anybody.

"What was that for?" Hans asked.

"I just wanted this conversation to be private. I hope you don't mind." The King answered.

"Well, it depends on where this conversation is headed." Hans said. "What about this war, father?"

The King reminded himself of his old policy; if a majority of other kingdoms supported the war, then so would he. But, many things could have changed during the trip, and he believed that many things _did _change.

"Did other countries decide on a war?" The King asked.

"Does it matter?" Hans asked.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Father, the ancient rules can not be broken. We must have this war."

"Answer the question, Hans!"

Hans looked down at his feet. He tried his best to keep away from that topic, but his father was persistent. Lying to his father now would mean treason, and that added with a of the other crimes Hans has committed would mean horrible things for Hans. Lying wasn't an option.

Hans sighed. "No, father. All of the other countries decided against it. A majority of those who were taken agreed against it and so did all of those who did not attend the meeting. In the end, I was the only one who wanted this war."

The King thought as much. He assumed that only Hans would speak out against Arendelle even though other countries reluctantly agreed to a war. The King didn't know why all of those countries agreed to support Hans in the first place, but at least now Hans had no more followers.

"If I were King, I would do whatever I could to do what is right." Hans said.

"You're not a king, and you never will be!" The King said. "Kings don't have bloodshed in their minds. Hans, I will do as they are doing. I won't declare war, not for you. I'm sorry."

Hans clenched his fist, and anger grew inside him. The King was Han's greatest political ally in his revenge, and now Hans had lost lost because of some bandwagon. he couldn't believe his father would go back on his word. Every ounce of love and respect Hans had for his father died, and now only bitterness and hatred remained. Bitterness and hatred was what fueled Hans the most now. Not a single moral was on Hans' mind.

Time for plan B, Hans thought to himself. Hans was going to try to have his way without resorting to plan B, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen. It was really a shame that violence and deception would be the only way Hans would take his revenge, but if that's what it took, to him, it was worth it. Nothing was going to stop Hans now and he wouldn't let anyone get in his way... not even his father.

"It's such a shame." Hans said. "I really thought it could have ended well for both of us." Hans smiled.

"What are you talking about?" asked the King.

From the ceiling and as if out of nowhere, Cade landed in front the King, between Hans and his father. Cade was wearing the same thing he wore in Arendelle and equipped with the same weapons. A maniac smirk was on Cade's face. He was going to enjoy what was about to come. Cade looked back at Hans, waiting for a signal. Hans nodded at Cade, approving action.

"Any last words?" Cade asked the King as he took out his sword.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I'm going to end this chapter with another cliffhanger. As a lot of you know, I love my cliffhangers. For the next week or two, as I said before, don't expect an update for a chapter. If it were up to me, I would be writing my heart out on new chapters, but I can't due to vacation. During the period where I won't be posting, I'll ask for a review (Yes, I know some of you will be annoyed). I'm going to ask a bunch of questions as well so you have something to do during this short break.

1. What do you think will happen to the King?

2. Do you believe the coordinates Cade gave away are legit?

3. How do you think Kai will hold up with his injuries?

Keep answers short if you _are _going to answer. Thank you for all of the support so far in this story, it really means a lot to me. See you guys in a week or two when I post the next chapter. Ciao._  
_


	13. The Assassin

Author's Note: Finally! After a weeks wait, the newest chapter is here! Seemed liked forever, huh?

* * *

**Chapter XIII: The Assassin**

* * *

"Any last words?" Cade asked the King of the Southern Isles as he took out his sword.

Hans stood behind Cade with an evil smirk on his face and arms crossed. He was tapping the floor with his toes; waiting impatiently for Cade to do the job. Hans was waiting for things to not go his way as it was inevitable since it did seem to good to be true for him. He planned this for quite a while and now he was finally executing it. He worked closely with Cade and Lilith for the past few weeks, making sure everything would end up well for the three of them.

Hans glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that the three of them were alone in the throne room. Not a single other person was in sight and that was great for Hans and Cade. They couldn't have anyone interfering, and if anyone did, they would have to suffer the same fate the King was about to. Hans looked back over at his father who was giving Hans a confused yet frightened look. Hans tried to not meet his father's eyes since it would make things harder for him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The King asked.

Cade raised his sword in the air, above the poor King's head. "Poor choice of last words." Cade said. Cade swung down at the King but Hans ordered a halt right before the blade made contact with the King. Cade looked back at Hans with an annoyed look.

"I'd like a word with my father very quickly." Hans said. Hans stepped forward while Cade took a step back.

"Well, hurry up, Hans. The guards could enter any second." Cade said.

That gave the King an idea. It was a mistake for him to order them out, but knowing his guards, they couldn't be far away. If they heard the slightest sound of danger, they would come rushing into the room immediately with spears and swords in the air. Right now, that was the King's only chance of survival. He opened his mouth, ready to cry for help, but in the blink of an eye, Hans took out a long piece of cloth, like a large hanker chief, and gagged his father. The King tried as hard as he could to get the gag off, but Hans tied it very tightly and expertly. It was almost impossible to get it off.

"That's going to keep you quite." Hans said. Hans prepared for this moment since he knew his father wouldn't just give up easily. That's a trait Hans received from the King. Hans wouldn't give up easily on getting the revenge he longed for for those years.

The King wouldn't stop fighting there. He refused to let anyone bully him and was not ready to lose. He realized that his hands and feet were still free. He had a fighting chance. He stood up quickly and punched at Hans, but he was not quick enough. Hans sidestepped the punch and delivered his own blow to the King's face. Hans' father fell back into his chair, putting his hand over his face. When he took them away, he found blood on where he had touched his nose. His face was stinging even well after the punch.

"I didn't want to do that." Hans said. "Who am I kidding? Of course I did!" The King had no idea how much Hans wanted to hurt him. All of those years of neglecting Hans bit back at this moment.

"Father..." Hans said while getting closer. "You must know that this day was coming. It was inevitable. Want to respond to that?" The King just stared at Hans angrily, knowing that Hans was just fooling around with that last question.

The King was thinking about how foolish he was. He should have just listened to Christian and Ander and not have trusted Hans at all. He just _had _to be the good King. He promised himself that he would never make that mistake again, but looking at the position he was in, he wouldn't live long enough to make another choice.

"This could have been avoided if you had only given me a chance as I grew up." Hans continued. "Ander was always they favorite child. Everything was about Ander with you. You didn't think about poor little Hans."

The King wanted to scream "That's not true!" but, in a way, Hans was right. The King realized how much he ignored Hans now, and for that, he was sorry.

"Now, here we are." Hans said. "Unfortunately, this is how it had to end. This could have been avoided if you only just kept the war going. We had to of things the hard way, right father?"

Hans took a step back which told Cade that he should take a step forward. Cade spun his sword around, intimidating the King.

"Sorry." Cade said. "It's nothing personal." Cade then looked up at the ceiling as if he was thinking of something and then he looked back at the King. "Well, maybe it is a little personal. Your entire life you've sat high in a castle, looking down upon people like me. People who struggle just to get by." Cade pointed the tip of his sword at the King's chin who moved his head back.

Cade turned his head towards Hans.

"Kill him." Hans ordered.

Cade took the sword away from the King's chin and jabbed it into the King's chest. Blood spread around his entire chest and spread down his body. They could hear the horrible sounds coming from the King's throat. Hans just watched in disappointment as the life drained away from his father. He was disappointed because he had to get his hands dirty. The King had never felt so much pain in his life. He's never been harmed like this so he didn't know how to handle the pain. Cade took the sword away from the King's chest and wiped the blood off of the blade. The King's "screaming" died down, and his eyes became heavy. His vision blurred as the pain grew less intense. Then, the King's vision went black and his breathing ceased. Small drops of blood were dripping on the floor.

Hans walked closer to his father's corpse and examined it. He had just ordered the murder of his father. He felt no remorse since he felt justified for this action. Nothing would get in the way of his revenge. He would do anything to get his revenge. Anything.

"A little sloppy." Hans said.

"Well, next time, you can do it yourself." Cade said. "You said you wanted him dead if things went sour, so I did the job. You didn't specify the way you wanted it done."

"If you're going to work for me, then-"

Cade punched Hans in the face and pushed him down on the ground. Cade then placed his foot over Hans' chest and pressed down hard, making it harder for Hans to breath. Then, Cade took his sword and slashed at Hans' face, leaving a huge cut on his cheek. Hans didn't know what had gotten into Cade. Cade put his sword on the ground next to him, and knelled down, with his knee on Hans' chest. He then took out his dagger and put it against Hans' throat.

"I am not working _for _you." Cade said angrily. "I will never work _for _you. It would be good for your health if you understand the difference."

Cade got off of Hans, letting him catch his breath. Hans coughed, but he tried his best to keep it quite. He couldn't let guards in now.

"You didn't hire me." Cade said as Hans got up. "This is a temporary partnership."

They met each other a few weeks ago. It was actually Lilith who went to Hans first. She and Cade were the ones who came up with the plan against Arendelle, and they needed Hans to execute it. So, they would have secret meetings with each other, planning what and how things would go down. Everything was thought out carefully, and they always had back up plans if things went wrong.

Hans knew what _he _had against Arendelle, but he didn't know what _they _had against Arendelle. Hans never dared ask and he just accepted the fact that they had secret reqsons.

Hans wiped the dirt off of his shirt and looked at Cade angrily. He was about to speak out, but decided against it since he knew that keeping his mouth shut would probably be better for his health.

"What about Ander?" Cade asked.

"What about him?"

"Think about it. We take him out too and that makes you the only person who can rule the Southern Isles. You lift a finger and war will happen."

"To them, it's all too good to be true for me. They'll be suspicious if I'm king, and they won't trust me. I won't have any power if they don't give it to me. My best chance is to convince Ander to declare war."

Cade walked and stood in front of the King's corpse. He removed the gag and threw it to Hans. From his pocket, he took out a small bottle and opened it up.

"What are you doing?" Hans asked.

"Making things easier for you." Cade answered.

Cade tilted the King' head so that it was flat on it's side. He poured liquid from the bottle over the King's face. The liquid had a yellowish color and smelled awful. Cade then put the bottle back into his pocket and took out a matchbox. He took out a match and lit it. Cade brought the match closer to the King's face and it made contact. He quickly took the match away, blew it out, and put it in his pocket as the fire spread across the King's face.

They just watched as the flames died down and saw the King's face horribly scarred and red.

"What was that for?" Hans asked.

"Like I said... Making things easier for you." Cade answered. "The guards will come " in and see his face. You tell him that it was Kai from Arendelle who killed him. You know? The guy with the fire."

"So, if Ander thinks that Arendelle sent an assassin here..."

"He'll be enraged, and war will break out."

Hans nodded. "That'll work."

Hans was excited that everything was going his way. He was so close to his prize and he couldn't wait any longer.

"I'll call in the guards and Ander. I'll tell them about this little incident with Kai." Hans said.

"Sorry, Hans, but it won't be that easy." Cade said while spinning his dagger around his fingers.

"What do you mean?" Hans asked.

"Do you think they'll just believe that Kai killed the King and left you alone." Cade asked.

Hans closed his eyes. He knew where Cade was going with this. Hans prepared himself for the pain that was about to come. He had to make an attack from Kai believable, and this would be the best way to do it. Not necessarily the most safe and nice way, but the best. It would assure Hans' innocence, and innocence was a trait that others did not see in Hans. He needed to make them see it.

Hans put his right index and middle finger over his cheek and found blood where Cade had cut him. He then felt a bruise on his nose. Hans looked like he was just attacked. And that would be helpful.

Cade pointed Hans toward the wall behind the King's throne which was against the wall. Hans walked to the part of the wall next to his father and sat down, his legs sticking out and hi back against the wall.

"Just do it." Hans said.

Cade took out a small knife he had hidden under his upper clothing and put the hilt into Hans' mouth. That way, Hans wouldn't scream as loudly and the guards would not hear it. It would give Cade some time to escape. Hans bit down hard on the handle and closed his eyes.

Cade took up his dagger and stabbed Hans' shoulder. The blade went through the shoulder and into the wall behind Hans. Tears ran down Hans' cheek and his fists clenched. The pain was unbearable but it was necessary. The white clothes over his shoulder soon became soaked in blood.

Cade took his hand off of the dagger and ran. He looked back at Hans one more time before he disappeared into the shadows.

Hans dropped the knife from his mouth and screamed in pain. "HELP ME!" Hans yelled.

Immediately, Ander and many guards rushed in through different doors. Hans' voice echoed throughout the entire castle, meaning everyone heard it.

Ander looked in horror at what was in front of him. He knelled in front of his father, with his hand over his father's heart. He felt no beat. Ander looked down at the small blood pool in the ground and saw drips of a clear liquid drop down into it. Ander realized that he was crying.

He clenched his fists and looked over at Hans. Two guards were at Hans' aid. One of them removed the dagger from his shoulder and dropped it on the ground. Ander stood up and walked to his brother.

"What happened here?!" Ander asked Hans angrily.

Ander knelt in front of Hans and grabbed his collar. Ander then raised Hans up against the wall. Hans wound hurt much more now and he showed it in his face. Ander's eyes widened, realizing what he was doing to his brother. He gently let Hans down and stepped back.

One of the guards pushed his hand over Hans' shoulder to try to stop the bleeding, but it was just causing more pain.

"We were... He talked about how he would agree to send troops to Arendelle." Hans lied. "Then, out of nowhere, a man jumped in between us. He had red eyes and black hair. Fire was in his hand. I recognized him. It was Kai from Arendelle."

"The man who can control fire? I heard that he was missing at sea. Presumed dead." Ander said.

"Didn't you hear? The great Captain of the Guard has returned!" Hans said sarcastically.

"Are you sure it was him?" Ander asked.

Hans nodded. "He stabbed our father in the chest. He then took out his sword and sliced at my face, but I was lucky enough to dodge it, but I was unfortunately cut." Hans pointed to his cut. "He punched me in the face and that pushed me back. To make sure father was dead, he shot a blast of fire at his face. Then, he was to deal with me. He carried me to the wall and pinned me. He stabbed me in my shoulder, and I screamed. As you guys came in, he ran away."

Ander believed Hans. His rage had taken the better of him that it clouded his judgment. Ander looked over at his father and stood up. Arendelle had ordered the assassination of the King, as Ander thought, and that meant war. Ander was determined to avenge his father's death, and if he were to see Kai, he would give Kai the same fate.

"You're the King now, Ander." Hans said. "We're waiting for your orders."

The pressure was on Ander. All of the power he had been promised was now his, though the way he received it wasn't necessarily the best. Ander knew the first executive decision he were to make. His first order would be his father's last.

"I want the castle searched! Kai could still be skulking around!" Ander demanded.

Hans knew that the true assassin was long gone by now. He would be on a small ship to Arendelle by now.

"Keep this place secure! Also, I want the navy ready!" Ander continued.

"What for my lord?" asked a guard.

"We're going down to Arendelle, and we're having this war!" Ander answered.

Hans rejoiced in his mind. Finally, things were official. Things were going is it as he had planned.

The guards were thinking that Ander was acting strange. Usually, Ander kept a calm mind when it came to things like this, but now fire was visible in his eyes. It was obvious how angry he was, and anger clouded his judgment. He was making blind decisions, but he didn't care.

"By the time Hans is patched up, the navy along with Hans and I are leaving!" Ander yelled.

Guards rushed around the room and coming in and out of it. They all seemed rush to do their tasks. Some had gone to prepare the navy while others patrolled every corner of the castle. It was chaos.

"What shall we do with the King?" asked a guard.

"I want him buried." Ander said.

"Would you like me to arrange a funeral?"

"No time."

The guard rushed away to get others to bury the body. Ander turned back to Hans.

"Great... First, our brothers are kidnapped. Then, our father is assassinated." Ander said, putting his hand over his forehead.

"I barely made it out." Hans said.

A thought danced around Ander's mind. It kept telling him that it should've been Hans who was killed instead of their father. But, Ander couldn't think so negatively. What's done is done. They cain't change the past, but they can avenge and honor their father in the present and future.

"We're leaving right when we get you bandaged." Ander said. "You'll get that war you wanted."

Hans didn't smile since that would've made things look bad for him, but if he could've, he would've.

* * *

That same morning...

Elsa sat in her study wearing reading glasses and a book in her hand. She was trying to forget all of the stress brought upon her that day. Usually, a good book took her mind off of things. When she was growing up isolated, she was always reading. It was better for her to be lost in a fantasy world as a child instead of the real one.

She heard Kai's voice loudly coming from the courtyard. She put her book down, took off her glasses, and walked toward her balcony. When she looked out of it, she saw Kai standing in front of a large group of her guards. They all stood straight and organized with their weapons sheathed. Some of them had packs and satchels filled with supplies.

"Men!" Kai said. "Today, you will set off on a journey that will determine the fates of those who were kidnapped. Your job is to bring all of them back."

Elsa hoped that they could achieve their goals. The leadership of many countries depended on them. She hoped that Kai would be able to install more courage in these men. They needed to be motivated in order to work hard.

"Do you all know where to go?" Kai asked.

The guards nodded. The night before, they were all given the coordinates and learned where they had to go.

"Be cautious that these coordinates may be folly." Kai said. "So, be on your best guard."

A guard raised his hand to speak to which Kai gave him permission. "What if it _is _a trap?"

"Then I'm sure the elite guards of Arendelle know how to fight." Kai answered.

The guards whispered among each other. Some were getting unsure of whether they were coming home but if Kai had faith in them, they believed they could get out of any sticky situation.

"The enemy you might face is nothing you've ever seen before." Kai said. "If you do come across him, work together to defeat him. It's your only chance."

Kai wasn't sure if he believed himself when he said this. If Kai and Elsa combined was not enough to defeat Cade, how could these men defeat him? Kai knew he was sending these men to a possible death trap, and he couldn't bear it if they did. These men trusted Kai with their lives and Kai would blame himself if anything bad happened to him.

Kai wanted to go badly. He knew that Elsa wouldn't allow it and he's not one to question her orders. He's made her mad before, and it never ended well. During one of their arguments a while back, Elsa made Kai's room freezing cold for a week. He tried to keep warm by using his powers, but it always got colder.

"I pray that you all return with the kings, queens, and nobles." Kai continued. "Now go!"

Elsa stayed on the balcony to see the guards leave. They got out of their organized order and jogged to the gate to the stone bridge. Soon, they all left. That left Kai standing alone in the courtyard.

Anna was watching the guards leave from her window in her room. She didn't believe that this was enough. She wanted to help in whatever way she could but Elsa didn't give her that opportunity. All Anna ever wanted to do was be useful in the past few days but that was a wish that didn't come true.

Rapunzel was also watching the guards from _her _guest room. Like Anna, she didn't believe that these guards would prove mighty against Cade. By the way Kai and Elsa described Cade, he was the most dangerous man Rapunzel "knew".

Rapunzel was going to help, and no one was going to stop her. Not even Eugene. She knew that Eugene would never allow her to put herself in danger like that, so she had to leave when he wasn't noticing. Also, she couldn't just join the guards as they would surely bring her back to the castle. She would have to leave on her own time. Night time was her window.

Kai looked up from the courtyard and at Elsa on her balcony. Kai waved his hand and Elsa responded by giving a small wave.

"I had a feeling you were watching." Kai said. Kai jumped in the air and shot streams of fire from his hand onto the ground. He launched up into Elsa's balcony and landed next to her. When Kai landed, he winced and grabbed his hurt shoulder. Elsa saw the pain he was in and helped him into her study.

She sat him down on a couch and moved the collar of his clothes to reveal his bandage. Most of it was brownish color, the color of dried, old blood.

"We should replace these bandages." Elsa said. "I think I have a roll in my desk."

"Why?" Kai asked.

"Don't ask." Elsa answered. The reason for it was kind of a long story.

Kai took off his jacket and then his shirt as Elsa grabbed the bandages. She walked and knelt in front of Kai. She then slowly and carefully unwrapped his bandages revealing his wound. It still hadn't fully healed. On his shoulder, there was a red spot which looked like what used to be a hole surrounded by pink markings.

"Ouch." Elsa said.

"Yeah..." Kai said.

Elsa began to wrap the new bandages on Kai.

"Where'd you learn to do this?" Kai asked.

"When you're locked in a room for those many years you have a lot of time to learn stuff." Elsa answered while wrapping the bandages. She wrapped in silence for a few moments.

"Do you really think they're going to get them back." Kai asked.

"I can't think otherwise." Elsa answered. She could only think on the positive side about it. She didn't know what horrible things were to happen if her guards failed.

"Anna seems upset about this entire thing." Kai said.

"She'll get over it." Elsa said.

"All she wanted to do was help, Elsa. Maybe you should've-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Elsa said. Elsa stopped wrapping, sighed, and looked down at her knees. Then, she looked back at Kai's shoulder and continued to wrap. "Kai... Anna is part of my family, and I would do whatever it takes to protect my family. Even if it means hurting their feelings."

Elsa couldn't risk neither Kai or Anna's life. She would be a complete mess like she was when she thought Kai died.

"Kai," Elsa continued. "your disappearance opened my eyes on things. I won't be too reckless on any of your lives anymore."

"I get it." Kai said.

When Elsa finished wrapping the bandages around Kai's shoulder, he got up and rolled his shoulder around. The pain was faint but it was still there. He kept a straight face since he didn't want Elsa to worry any more about him. He sag back down on the couch and then lay down on it.

"I haven't had any sleep at all last night." Kai said. "I was too busy preparing the guards. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Elsa said.

Immediately, Kai closed his eyes and fell asleep. His mouth was open with drool coming down the side of it. He snored loudly which was unlike Kai since he usually never snored.

Elsa walked back to her to her desk and put on her reading glasses. She picked up her book and continued where she left off. But, she found Kai's snoring annoying. She covered her ears with ice, and that blocked off the snoring.

But, she still couldn't focus on her book. She couldn't shake off a bad feeling she had about the guards. They were in danger, and it would be Elsa's fault.

* * *

Author's Note: Forgive me if this chapter wasn't as on par as the others. I'm a little rusty becuase I haven't written anything in a week. Ciao.


	14. Deadline

**Chapter XIV: Deadline**

* * *

When Kai woke up, it was the afternoon. The sun was slowly setting outside. He looked around the room and found that he was still in Elsa's study and he was still on Elsa's couch. He noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt so he picked up his shirt from the ground and put it on.

He looked over at Elsa's desk to see her with closed eyes, laying her head over her arms. She followed Kai's example and fell asleep while reading. Kai smiled at her. He always found her cute when she was sleeping. She always seemed to have a slight smile on her face and breathed lightly. When she slept, she looked like she had no worries at all.

Kai slowly stood up from the couch and stretched. He twisted his back left and then twisted it right, but he heard a loud cracking noise and his spine was stuck. Ow, Kai thought. Despite being only twenty-three, he felt like he was seventy-three. Kai unfroze his back and continued to stretch. When he cracked his knuckles, they made a very loud cracking noise. Kai was afraid he would wake Elsa, but she only moved her head slightly.

This was Kai's wake up routine. Whenever he woke up during any time of day or night, he would always make quick stretches before doing anything else. His body had to be ready in the case of an attack, which with Kai, attacks happened fairly often.

Kai walked to the balcony and looked out. The snow was falling less intensely as it did earlier that day though the snow was still falling fairly strongly since the sun was not enough to melt anything. The courtyard had only three guards on duty, all three of them leaning on a wall. Usually, the courtyard had way more than three guards, but seeing as how many of them were gone, this was where they were at.

Kai would've yelled at them to get back on duty but then he realized that most of them have not had any sleep for the past day or two. Elsa ordered them all on guard 24/7 in case of another attack. He figured he could give them a little rest.

He looked over at Elsa and she was still soundly asleep on her desk just like Kai left her. He walked over to her desk to see if she could sleep somewhere more comfortable. He stood behind her large chair and out his hands over her shoulders.

Kai slightly shook her shoulders. "Hey." Kai said. He shook some more. "Are you going to wake up." Elsa just moved her shoulders a little bit and was still soundly asleep. "Guess not." Kai answered himself.

He decided he should get her someplace more comfortable. He slowly moved her chair back and though it made a creaking noise, she didn't wake up. Kai picked her up and held her in his arms. His right arm was supporting and holding her back while his left arm was supporting and holding her legs. His shoulder ached but he ignored the pain. He knew she would be furious if he dropped her.

He slowly carried her to the couch he slept on and lay her down on it. Her body noticed the change of position so she put her hands together, lay them next to her head, and put her head over her hands. Kai deduced that she had to be kept warm so he picked up his jacket from the floor and put it over her body. Elsa smiled because of how comfortable she was.

Kai heard marching coming from the outside. He walked to the balcony to see what was up. What he saw was Ander, though Kai didn't know who Ander was, walking next to Hans with many guards surrounding them. Kai realized that they had just arrived to Arendelle, and looked at the docks to confirm it. Sure enough, there was a huge ship docked and Kai noticed that the symbol on the flags belonged to the Southern Isles.

"Uh-oh." Kai said. He noticed that Anna was also looking from the balcony of _her_ room. She looked over at Kai and gave him a worried look from the distance. Kai nodded at her, telling her he was confused as well.

Ander looked up and noticed that Kai was watching. Ander gave him a dirty look to which Kai did not respond to. Ander refocused his attention to the Arendelle guard in front of him.

"What brings you to Arendelle?" asked the guard.

"The King of the Southern Isles, my father, has been assassinated." Ander answered. "I have reason to believe that Arendelle is responsible."

"Sir, I assure you that-"

"I wish to see the Queen immediately." Ander said, interrupting the guard.

The guard closed his eyes and nodded to Ander. "As you wish."

"In private." Ander made more clearly. "Her study would be preferable."

The guard nodded again and turned to another guard. He ordered him to inform Elsa about the surprise meeting. The other guard ran into the castle to do his task. Kai, who overheard their conversation, walked to the couch where Elsa was sleeping. He needed her to be ready for whatever was coming her way. He knelt next to her, put his hand on her cheek, and used his thumb to move some strands of her hair away from her eyes. The warmth of Kai's hand woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a blurry Kai. Soon, her vision cleared and everything looked normal. Elsa yawned while Kai took his jacket off of her body.

"Hey." Kai said.

"Hey." Elsa responded.

"You're going to have company." Kai told her.

Elsa sat up from the couch and moved her feet so they touched the floor. "What kind of company?" Elsa asked.

Kai shrugged. "All I know is that someone wants to see you."

Before Elsa could say something, they heard a knock on the door. Kai got up to open it, but Elsa grabbed his hand before he took a step. He looked down at her and she gave him a gesture that told him that she should be the one to do it. Kai nodded in agreement. It would be strange for the Captain of the Guard to answer something meant for the Queen. Kai sat down on the couch as Elsa stood up. She quickly unwrinkled her dress and made a straight face. She made her way to the door and opened it and found a guard standing in front of her.

The guard put his hand over his chest and bowed his head. "Queen Elsa." The guard said. Elsa nodded her head in acknowledgement. When the guard stood straight again, he noticed Kai over Elsa's shoulder. "Hello Captain." The guard said, confused. He wondered why Kai was in Elsa's office, then he realized he shouldn't be surprised since the two were a couple. Kai saluted the guard with two fingers.

"What is required of me?" Elsa asked. That was just a nice way of saying "What do you want?". As Queen, Elsa had to speak with a nice and sophisticated manner. She could only be casual among her friends and family.

"Someone would like to speak with you in your study." The guard answered.

"Whom?" Elsa asked.

"King Ander of the Southern Isles." The guard answered.

That greatly confused Elsa. She couldn't recall the name of the King of the Southern Isles being Ander. Something strange was happening. She, at least, was able to remember the name Ander be of great significance, and she realized that Ander was head of the Southern Isles' military which was arguably the strongest military in the known world.

She had to know what was up. "Bring him in now." Elsa said. The guard nodded and started to walk off through the long, empty corridor. Then, about halfway across, he turned back to Elsa.

"The King asked for a private conversation." The guard said, then he continued to walk off to tell Ander.

Elsa turned back to look at Kai who had just made himself comfortable to make sure he heard the guard to which he did. Kai stood up in the couch and stood closely in front of Elsa. He put his arms around her back and kissed her forehead.

"What're you going to do without me?" Kai asked, jokingly.

"Oh, please." Elsa said. "You were only going to hold me back. I was doing fine when you were gone."

"I was told you cried like a baby during my funeral." Kai pointed out.

"It was raining." Elsa lied.

"You started to drink."

"That wine was going to expire." Elsa lied once again.

"You isolated yourself once again."

"I was reading a book." Elsa lied.

"For three months?!"

"It was a long book."

"Oh yeah? Which book?"

That was it. She panicked and was about to say the dictionary but refrained from it. Elsa was out of excuses. Well, to her, it was fun while it lasted. Kai knew that she was just messing with him for all of the answers, and that actually made him feel better about her. She had a sense of humor now. Kai knew she got it from him.

The couple heard footsteps coming from the outside of Elsa's door. Ander, Hans, and one of Arendelle's guards were walking down the corridor. Kai knew it was his time to leave. He walked to the door and opened it. Ander and Hans gave Kai a dirty look, but they didn't say anything. Hans' tailcoat covered his shoulder wound so Kai couldn't tell Hans was hurt. Kai walked out of the room, through the corridor, and past the three men. He was confused as to what Hans was doing here. He had a bad feeling about Kai passed the men, they payed no more attention to him.

Hans turned his head toward Ander. "She's dangerous." Hans whispered. "Are you sure you want to talk to her alone."

Ander nodded. "She would be stupid to do anything to me while we're in there." Ander assured. "It's best you leave now."

"But-"

Ander glared at his brother. He meant business. He couldn't let Hans interfere with the conversation, knowing that Hans would do anything in his power to take charge of it. Hans went silent after Ander gave him the dirty look.

The guard escorting them held his arm out towards Elsa's open door, and Ander walked to it. Hans stayed immobile while watching his brother enter Elsa's study. Only when Ander closed the door behind him did Hans and the guard leave. The guard opened the door out of the empty corridor for Hans to which Hans exited, followed by the guard. They entered another corridor which was perpendicular to the corridor they was just in. This corridor had less windows but more doors, paintings, and knights in armor. The two took a right turn and headed away.

From the left side of the corridor and from an open door to a room, Anna poked her head out. When Hans and the guard were out of sight, she tip toed to the door that led to the corridor that led to Elsa's study. She slowly opened it up and tip toed to Elsa's study door. She put her ear against the door, cautiously trying not to make a sound.

When Anna heard that Ander requested a small, private council with Elsa, she knew something dubious was happening. She couldn't resist hearing what was happening. Knowing Elsa would not allow her to get involved, she had to find out her own way.

From the inside, Anna could hear Elsa's voice.

"I presume you are King Ander." Elsa said.

Ander nodded. "Well, my official, formal title is Crowned Prince of the Southern Isles."

"That means you have not have your coronation." Elsa said. Being the Queen, Elsa knew how power was passed down, and when a monarch's title does not have the word King or Queen in it, a coronation was not yet given. Either that means that the monarch is too young for the coronation, or power was passed through will.

"What happened to your father?" Elsa asked.

"That's what I'm hear about." Ander said. He out his hands behind his back and walked to Elsa's balcony. She stayed in her position, standing next to her desk. Ander looked out at the balcony. "My father was assassinated just this morning." Ander answered.

Elsa's eyes widened. It was not uncommon for a monarch to have a target on his or her's head, but why Ander was here telling Elsa confused her.

"Did you come here just to tell me that?" Elsa asked.

Ander turned back towards Elsa. "I have reason to believe that Arendelle is responsible for the murder."

From outside of the room, Anna quietly gasped. She and Elsa both knew that Arendelle would never associate itself with such dark business.

"That's a wild accusation, Ander." Elsa said. "I assure you that Arendelle has nothing to do with the assassination nor will Arendelle dare harm your country."

Ander didn't trust Elsa. In times like these, trust was hard to come by, especially from a monarch. One thing Ander learned about ruling is that other rulers always want more power. He viewed them all the same; as power hungry sociopaths. He viewed Elsa like Elsa viewed Hans. Elsa was not like the rest. She didn't want more than what she had, because she knew that if she went on a crusade for more power, it would bite back at her.

"Liar!" Ander said angrily. Elsa took a step back away from Ander. Ander calmed himself down and remembered to keep a calm mind. "As I said, I have reason to believe so." Ander continued.

"What reason is this?" Elsa asked.

"My father was not the only one in the room when he was killed. Hans was there as well, and he was witness to the entire thing. Hans said that your very own Captain of the Guard, Kai murdered my father, and he almost killed Hans too." Ander answered.

"That's impossible!" Elsa said. "Kai was here the entire time!"

"Is that another lie, Queen?" Ander asked, disbelievingly.

"No!" Elsa said. "Kai has not stepped foot in your country ever."

"Hans was attacked by Kai, and I'm sure. Kai scarred my father's face with his fire and fled." Ander continued.

"Are you seriously believing Hans?" Elsa asked. Elsa realized that Hans must've been manipulating his older brother. "Hans has done so much wrong and you're taking his word over mine?!"

"He is my kin! Yes, I have resented him in the past, but now he's all that I've got and I cherish it." Ander said. "We have given him a second chance and I don't think he would give that up."

Even though Ander was the one who was mostly against Hans, he seemed to be Hans' greatest ally right now. Hans was all Ander had left, and he would not lose him. He refused to lose any more family, no matter what they had done. Lost and anger has blinded Ander from seeing a bigger, more dubious plan coming together. Hans expected Ander to be more skeptical about the whole situation, but that wasn't the case.

"Kai was here all day." Elsa said. "You must believe me."

"I can't, I'm afraid. My father is dead and all fingers point to Arendelle. Perhaps Hans was right about." Ander said.

"Right about what?" Elsa asked.

"He was right about you being responsible for the entire thing. He believed that you kidnapped all of those people to ensure war would not come to your country. Then, you got rid of those who had the power to declare war and was not already in your captivity." Ander elaborated.

"That is a crazy thought." Elsa said. "Harm will never reach anyone because of us."

"No harm will come, eh?" Ander asked. "If I recall, you almost killed your sister as a child. You set both Arendelle and Teranhall in eternal winter. That all sounds harmful to me."

Anna wanted to open the door and speak out for Elsa, but she didn't know the consequence she would receive from her sister. All she could do was keep on listening.

"Arendelle is innocent." Elsa said. "_Kai_ is innocent."

"Yet, you have no evidence to support that except for your claims." Ander rebutted.

"Ask everyone in the castle. They'll tell you what Kai's whereabouts were." Elsa said.

"How do I know you didn't tell them to lie prior?" Ander asked.

Elsa was getting more fruited and frustrated with this conversation. She knew who the true enemies were; Cade and Lilith. She didn't know if Hans was involved or not, but right now, she didn't care. All she cared about was keeping Arendelle and her friends and family safe. Now, Ander was threatening that safety. She didn't want him to become her enemy, but to him, that was already too late.

"Don't be so paranoid." Elsa said. "Believe me when I plead Kai is innocent."

"Why do you defend him?" Ander asked.

"He has done no wrong!" Elsa answered.

"Is that correct? If I recall, the infamous Captain Kai used to be part of the Bandit Organization, now disbanded. Has he done no wrong then?" Ander continued.

Elsa looked down at her feet. She tried to ignore the fact that Kai used to be a thug before the two met and she always shrugged it off. She kept telling herself that he was different now. Kai also kept telling himself that. But, neither of them could deny the fact that he indeed did bad things.

"I bet he's hurt many. Yet, you still protect him." Ander continued.

"He's my Captain of the Guard. I protect him so he can protect others." Elsa said.

"Listen, Queen, I know about your little romance with this man." Ander said. "Is that the reason you defend this murderer?"

"He's not a murderer!" Elsa yelled. The room suddenly got colder and dimmer. Elsa's emotions were taking the best of her again. She took a deep breath and tried to regain a calm mind.

"Believe me, Elsa, I know how far one would go to defend someone they love." Ander said.

"It's not just that, Ander." Elsa said. "Yes, I love him. Yes, he has done wrong in the past, But I beg you believe me when I say he has not killed your father. Arendelle is in no way involved in anything diabolical."

Elsa heard a loud ringing coming from the outside. It was the sound of bells. Whenever a new ship entered Arendelle's docks, the ringing would be made. But, strangely, the ringing did not stop. It kept on going and going. Either someone wasn't doing their job right or a lot of ships were coming their way.

Ander walked to the balcony and turned to see. Elsa walked up next to him to see what the commotion was about. Many military ships were filling up Arendelle's docks and many others were just floating in the port's waters. Some were strategically lined up so that they made a wall of ships blocking the docks from the rest of the ocean.

Men from the docked ships walked off onto the docks with their weapons and they lined up around the docks. They meant to prevent anyone from accessing a ship.

Arendelle was being blockaded. All of the ships had the Southern Isles flag.

"What is the meaning of this?" Elsa asked.

From the outside, Anna didn't know what exactly was going on.

"That's my navy." Ander answered. "They were ordered to attack when I gave the go, but seeing as how you plead for your innocence, I'm going to refrain from that."

"Refrain doesn't sound too good to me." Elsa said.

"I will give you time to prove your innocence. You have three days, starting today to prove to me Arendelle is innocent on both charges." Ander said.

"Both charges?"

"People are blaming you for the assassination of my father and the kidnapping of those other monarchs. I'm sure both are connected."

"This morning, I have already sent some of my best guards to search for the kidnapped though they have yet to return."

"If you rescue the kidnapped before the third day, I will assume Arendelle is uninvolved will both of these despicable actions and I will call off the navy. But, know this."

Ander leaned his head closer to Elsa's.

"Today is counts as the first day. Tomorrow is day two. The day after is day three. If you don't have your proof before the sun sets on the third day, I will open fire. Do you understand me?" Ander said.

Elsa nodded and watched Ander as he walked to the door. Anna could hear footsteps coming closer to the door, and she sprinted off down the corridor. When Ander opened the door out of Elsa's study, Anna already was clear of the corridor.

Elsa walked to her desk and slunk down into her chair. Elsa couldn't believe she was being threatened. She had been given a deadline which just made things more difficult for everyone. She hoped that the guards would save them in time. She couldn't spare any more men than she already had. The castle and city needed protection, and their strengths were already greatly lowered.

All she could do was wait and hope for the guards she sent to return with good news. Arendelle depended on it. Now, she had to call a servant to inform everyone of the bad news.

* * *

Anna lay on her bed, pretending to read a book while Kristoff was on the other side of the room on a table, eating... whatever that was. It was night time, and many people were heading to sleep.

Anna couldn't stop thinking about the danger they were in. If they didn't find the monarchs quickly, they couldn't prove anything to Ander. Once again, she wanted to help so badly. She didn't care what Elsa would say, she was going to help no matter what.

Anna put her book down. "Kristoff." Anna said. Her husband stopped eating and paid attention to his wife. "Do you know where the coordinates lead?" Anna asked.

Kristoff nodded. "It's suppose to be a plain area, like a small flatland. Why?"

"Kristoff... I "overheard" a conversation with Elsa and King Ander of the Southern Isles."

"They blockaded the port, right?" Kristoff asked.

Anna nodded. "He's giving us three days to prove our innocence on two matters or else Arendelle is doomed."

"I didn't hear about that part." Kristoff said.

Anna realized that Elsa told the servant specific words to say so that people wouldn't get worried.

"The only way to prove our innocence is to bring back those taken." Anna said.

"The guards will take care of it. Don't worry." Kristoff assured.

"Are you sure about that?" Anna asked. "Have you forgotten the fact that the given coordinates may be fake? Have you forgotten the fact that Cade might be there, and by the way he was described, he's too much for these guards."

"Think positive, Anna."

"We are on the edge of death, and you're asking me to think positive?!"

Anna hated raising her voice on Kristoff. He was always so kind to her, and right now she wasn't being very kind to him.

"Where are you going with this, Anna?" Kristoff asked.

Anna took a deep breath, and breathed it out. "We need to go out and help those guards. They'll need it."

"They don't need it, Anna. I have faith in these men."

"Trust me, they won't be enough."

"They _are _enough. They'll get the job done."

"What if they don't? Do you have any idea what will happen to Arendelle?"

"Anna, I'm not going to let you run out there and throw your life away!" Kristoff yelled.

Like Elsa, Kristoff always sheltered Anna. He would do whatever he could to keep her safe and shield her from the dangers of the world.

Anna looked down at her legs and shed a small tear. She wanted so badly to help and be useful, but yet again, people weren't letting her do that. Anna stood up and walked to her husband. She sat on his lap and kissed his cheek.

"You're right..." Anna said.

"I'm sorry, Anna." Kristoff said. "I didn't mean to-"

"That's alright. I rest my case." Anna stood up and walked back to her bed. She got into bed, put her head on her pillow, and pulled her blanket over her body. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Anna didn't care what anyone said, she was going to go out there and help save the monarchs. She didn't know how, but she was going to find them. She was leaving that night and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her.

Kristoff got in bed next to Anna.

"Good night." He said. Anna didn't respond so he assumed she already fell asleep. But, little did he know that she was just waiting for the right time to get up and go out.

* * *

That night...

Rapunzel looked to the side of the bed to find Eugene sleeping deeply. She slowly got out of bed, and tip-toed across the floor to their dresser. From one drawer, she pulled put a pair of shoes. Usually, Rapunzel was barefoot, but seeing as how the snow outside would give her feet a frostbite, she needed some footwear.

She looked at the bottom drawer and remembered what was in there. Eugene always brought it with him wherever he went. She reckoned she needed it too. Rapunzel slowly opened the bottom drawer and took out a frying pan.

* * *

Author's Note: The adventure finally begins! The exposition chapters are done and now people are getting their hands dirty. Reviews for the previous chapter have been light but who cares? One question for you guys.

1. Who do you think will be a part of the adventure, or in other words, who do you think will go on a quest?

Ciao.


	15. The Escape

**Chapter XV: The Escape**

* * *

The night actually seemed peaceful. There were no whispers around the city that night. There was only complete and utter silence. Even with the ships docked in Arendelle's docks, the city still seemed peaceful. No commotion came from the ships at all. Since it was a blockade, the Southern Isles' forces were going to stay there for a while. Only when Ander gave the order or when Arendelle was reduced to rubble would the military ships leave. Elsa, of course, was not happy with the blockade one bit, but she couldn't do anything about it. She knew Ander wouldn't change his mind about things. There was almost nothing Elsa could get through his thick skull.

The military people who came with Ander were all stationed to a specific ship. They were all ordered to fight and die on that ship if danger arose. But that night, not a single soldier stood guard on the deck of any of the ships. The temporary peace and silence was too good for any of them to pass up. For the next day or two, Ander and Hans would be staying in the Southern Isles' royal ship. The comforts of home were there on that ship for the two to enjoy. All they had to do was wait for Arendelle to do something or nothing at all.

Everyone slept uneasily in within the walls of Arendelle Castle, especially Elsa. The first day that Ander had given them was officially over. Now, the guards only had about a day and a half to get the monarchs and representatives back before Ander's ships opened fire. She kept having images in her mind about the death and destruction that was to come if her guards failed their task. She couldn't properly go to sleep with all of that in her mind. Elsa kept tossing and turning on her bed, changing the position is which she slept in. Kai wasn't sleeping next to her that night and that gave her no comfort. She always slept soundly whenever Kai was around, but knowing he was in his own room, she knew that it was going to be a rocky night.

Kai was having similar problems with Elsa. In the room next to Elsa's, Kai lay flat on his bed, with the front side of his body facing the ceiling. He didn't change into his sleepwear and was still wearing his Captain of the Guard uniform. His dagger was in his hand, and Kai was holding it over his head. He was pretending to be studying the blade when he actually was having bad thoughts. Elsa told Kai the bad news personally, and he became worried. Kai hated deadlines, and with the stakes as high as they were, this deadline was just the worst.

Kai knew that he had to have faith in his men. They wouldn't succeed in anything if Kai believed they couldn't. The guards idolized Kai and all wanted to follow in his footsteps. They admired Kai's bravery and courage just as much as they admired his fighting skills. Kai had not prepared them to lose, and they were not prepared to let him down. Kai put his dagger down on the ground, pulled his blanket over his body, and closed his eyes. He didn't know how he would be able to sleep, but he had to at least try. But, he had a feeling that these would be restless nights.

Anna was still awake in her room. The time to leave was now. She turned to her side to check if Kristoff was sound asleep and she found that he was. She slowly took the blanket off of her body and placed her feet on the cold floor. Anna needed a new set of clothes since her sleep wear wouldn't exactly be the best thing to wear out there in the snow. She tip toed to her wardrobe and slowly opened it up. Many of Anna's dresses hung in her wardrobe including the dress she wore for Elsa's coronation, her casual wear, and other clothes.

Anna searched for the winter clothes she wore when she went on the journey to find Elsa. She found it hanging on the far left side of her wardrobe. Anna took it down and changed into it quickly and silently. She then opened a drawer on the bottom of the wardrobe where her shoes, boots, and slippers were. She found the winter boots she wore with the winter dress and slid her feet into them. She then put on her snow gloves. Anna missed being in these clothes. She had her first real adventure wearing them which made them special to her.

Anna grabbed a small satchel the was lying on the floor and slung it over her shoulder. She needed something to hold stuff. Anna then slowly made her way next to Kristoff's side of the bed and looked under it. There, she found Kristoff's stash of carrots for Sven. Anna didn't have time to grab some food from the kitchen so the carrots would have to do. She took a few and put them in her satchel.

She then walked over to the door that led out of her room. She reached for the door handle but she stopped her hand right before it touched the golden handle. There was sure to be some guards left patrolling the castle ever since their last attack. The guards would surely stop her and foil her escape. She had to take a different route. A more dangerous route.

Anna walked to the large triangular window in her room. She opened it slowly and carefully, trying her best not to make a sound. The right side of the window swung open to the right, and the left side swung to the left. The wind was howling in the air but it wasn't loud enough to wake Kristoff. Snowflakes fell through the open window and into the room as Anna looked down below her. The snow had made a perfect slide for her to go down just like she had a year and many months ago.

Anna looked back at Kristoff one last time before she went out. Right now, she was betraying Kristoff's and Elsa's trust. She would be throwing her life in harms way once she leaves her room. Was she prepared? Anna was sure she was ready. She wasn't going to give up now. Arendelle depended on it.

"I'm sorry." Anna said to Kristoff.

Anna jumped through the window and landed on the flat roofing that was angled down, all of it covered in snow. Anna slid down the roof, taking strange turns as she went down. Her feet were in front of her, and they pushed down the snow in front of them and that snow fell down the roof with Anna. Soon, Anna fell into Arendelle's courtyard. Luckily, there was a small collection of snow where Anna landed so the fall wasn't that hard on her.

"That wasn't so bad." said Anna who was wiping the snow off of her legs. Before she could take a step forward, tons of snow from the roof suddenly fell on Anna. Her entire body was buried in snow as she was standing. That would be the third time in her life that happened. The first time was when Anna was thrown off her horse, and snow coming from a tree fell on her. The second time happened when she accidentally broke Elsa's favorite pair of shoes. Anna shook the snow off of her body and stepped out of the pile of snow beneath her.

Lucky enough, there were no guards patrolling the courtyard. Anna didn't think about the fact that the courtyard might have been being guarded while she was sliding, but now she didn't have to worry about it. Her job was easier now.

"Anna?" said a voice to Anna's right.

Anna turned her head to the right and found Rapunzel standing there with a satchel over her shoulder and a frying pan in her hand. Both of them were confused as to why the other was out this late. Rapunzel was the last person Anna expected to be outside at this time.

"Hi, Rapunzel." Anna said.

"What are you doing here?" Rapunzel asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Anna said.

Rapunzel was about to tell a lie, but she couldn't come up with one quick enough. She wasn't used to lying. She's always been telling the truth throughout her life, and only very few times have she lied. Rapunzel knew she was busted, but she felt she could trust Anna.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. "I'm sneaking out." She said. "I'm going to save my parents."

Anna's eyes widened. That was convenient for both of them. They both wanted the same goal and had pretty much the same plan to achieve it. Since Rapunzel told Anna, Anna felt like she could tell Rapunzel.

"I'm sneaking out, too." Anna said. "I'm going to save my country."

"Why do you need to sneak out?" Rapunzel asked. "You're the princess which means you can pretty much do whatever you want."

Anna sighed. "Blame Elsa." she said. "My sister has been limiting things for me lately. She's trying to keep me safe."

"That's what sisters do, I guess." Rapunzel said.

"She's making me feel useless!" Anna said angrily. "She has not given me a chance to help."

Anna was frustrated with Elsa lately. Elsa was not granting Anna the one thing she wanted most, so Anna would have to give it to herself. Now, not even Elsa was going to stop her.

"I'm going to help Arendelle, Rapunzel, and no one is going to stop me." Anna said. Anna was determined to leave. She was never more sure of what she wanted ever in her life.

Rapunzel understood Anna's point of view. She understood the feeling of wanting to be useful. Rapunzel took a step closer to Anna and held her hand in front of her. Anna looked at Rapunzel with a raised eyebrow.

"We're both leaving to do the same thing." Rapunzel said. "It's probably safer if we stick together. What do you say? Partners?"

Anna smiled. She feared that she was going to have to do it alone, which was not preferable. She was glad that someone was willing to help her when no one else would. She felt like Rapunzel was her only friend at that moment, and Anna needed a friend. Anna shook Rapunzel's hand. "Partners." Anna agreed.

The two started to walk off to the stone bridge, but Anna stopped when a question came up in her head. Rapunzel looked back at Anna, confused.

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked.

"How did you sneak out?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel swung her frying pan around. "Your guards weren't frying pan proof." Rapunzel smiled.

"You knocked out our only form of security?!" Anna asked.

"When you put it that way... They'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Man, you ask a lot of questions."

"Only when I'm concerned." Anna countered.

"Whatever. My turn to ask you a question."

"And that is?"

"Again with the questions..."

"Rapunzel!" Anna was getting annoyed with Rapunzel's humor, but she knew it was all in good fun.

"Okay, fine. Do you have any idea where we're going." Rapunzel asked.

"I don't have an exact location."

"Great start." Rapunzel said.

"But, I do know it's a flat area like a field. A large patch somewhere in the forest."

That raised Rapunzel's hope a little bit. "Well, that narrows things down a little bit."

"But, the forest is huge."

"Let's just stay positive." Rapunzel suggested. They had to believe they could find the place if they were going to succeed. Doubting themselves wasn't going to help their cause at all.

"Hi guys!" said a jolly Olaf from the other side of the courtyard. Uh oh, thought both Anna and Rapunzel. They turned to see the snowman making his way towards them.

"Hi Anna and Anna's friend." Olaf said.

"Rapunzel." Rapunzel told Olaf.

"Gesundheit!" Olaf said.

Rapunzel face palmed. Some nights she wondered why she was given such a complex and strange name. But, she still loved her name. It made her unique, and if Rapunzel was one thing, she was unique. She shrugged off Olaf's ignorance and refocused herself.

"Hi Olaf." Anna said. "What're you doing out this late?"

"I came outside to play with the snow but I saw you guys first. What're you doing here?"

Anna and Rapunzel looked at each other. They couldn't let Olaf know the truth though they knew he could be trusted. Olaf loved Anna too much to let her throw herself in harm's way. They needed to lie to the snowman and leave before anyone else came down.

"Uh..." Anna said. "I was just going to show Rapunzel around the city."

"At night?" Olaf asked.

Rapunzel nodded. "See, I'm arachnophobic which means I don't like being around crowds of people."

"Doesn't arachnophobic means you're scared of spiders?" Olaf asked.

"Hey, you didn't invent the term." Rapunzel said.

Anna kicked Rapunzel's leg from the side, telling Rapunzel to stop messing around and focus at the task at hand. They had to get rid of Olaf now or never. Anna came up with an idea.

"Olaf, I think I lost my wedding ring somewhere in the snow. Can you find it for me?" Anna said.

Olaf saluted Anna and said "I will do it with honor!"

Olaf walked away and started digging through the snow around him. He put his carrot nose to the ground and sniffed around for the ring. Anna felt bad for him since all of his efforts would be in vain but she couldn't worry about that now. Anna turned to Rapunzel and motioned her to sneak to the gate that led to the stone bridge.

While Olaf was searching, the girls slowly made their way to the gate. Once there, Anna slowly but silently opened both doors wide open. Anna was Rapunzel's guide. Anna knew the way to the forest, and Rapunzel needed that guidance. They were partners in crime now, and they knew they had to do it together. While Olaf wasn't looking, they made their way to the stone bridge.

Now, they were home free. There would barely be anyone out in the streets which means no one would spot them leave. Anna led Rapunzel as they jogged through the city. They were heading towards one of the main openings to the forest; the most popular for tradesmen and merchants who did their business in the forest.

After a few minutes of jogging, Anna and Rapunzel stopped in front of the forest clearing which was the main opening. They needed a minute to catch their breath. They weren't used to jogging long distances non stop.

"Here it is." Anna said.

"Are you ready?" Rapunzel asked her.

"No." Anna said. "But, we can't turn back now."

"That would be embarrassing." Rapunzel agreed.

"That's not what I'm afraid of." Anna said. She didn't want to face Elsa after an escape attempt. Who knew what the anger could cause Elsa to do?

Together, the two girls walked into the forest, not sure if they were ready to face the danger that lied ahead of them.

* * *

Anna hoped that Kristoff wouldn't wake up, but that hope didn't come true. It was only a few minutes after Anna and Rapunzel entered the forest did Kristoff wake up.

The window was still open after Anna left, making the room slightly noisy. Kristoff tried to change his sleeping position so it would not be much of a nuisance. He turned to his right and put his arm over the left side of the bed, hoping it would be over a sleeping Anna. But, the arm was laying over more bed.

Kristoff couldn't feel Anna's presence next to him. He opened his eyes immediately. He found that she wasn't on the bed just as he suspected. He sat up from his bed and quickly scanned the room, hoping to find Anna elsewhere.

"Anna?" Kristoff asked.

Of course there was no answer. He got off of bed and looked under it, hoping Anna was justp ranking him, but she wasn't there. He ran to her wardrobe and opened it. She wasn't hiding in it. Kristoff noticed that her winter dress was gone.

"Oh no." Kristoff said.

He ran to his the open window and looked outside to the courtyard. He found it almost empty. Almost. He found Olaf digging around the snow, which Kristoff thought was normal, but Kristoff asked himself why Olaf was doing that. As cheerful and eccentric Olaf was, he wouldn't be doing that for no reason. Something was up. He moved his eyes to the gate and found that it was open and unguarded. Kristoff wasn't surprised by the fact that it was unguarded but Elsa always ordered it closed for the recent nights. Someone opened it.

Kristoff studied the ground closer. Though it was faint, he found two different pairs of footsteps leaving the courtyard. That must've been Anna. Kristoff couldn't believe she betrayed his trust. He couldn't believe she actually left.

"Anna, what are you doing?" Kristoff asked himself.

Kristoff quickly changed into his ice miner clothes, put on his boots, and ran out his door. He had to get to Anna quickly before she hurt herself. Down the corridor, he saw another door open. Out from it jumped Eugene he ran the same direction that Kristoff was running. Kristoff ran faster to try to catch up to him.

"Eugene!" Kristoff yelled.

Eugene stopped right in from of the stairs that led down to the main hall. Kristoff caught up to him much to Eugene's confusion.

"What're you doing here?" Kristoff asked.

"I'm going looking for my wife." Eugene answered.

"Same." Kristoff said

"Isn't that coincidental." Eugene said. He immediately assumed that both escapes were connected.

"I know Anna left to go help find the kidnapped." Kristoff said. "I also know she left through the courtyard. I saw two sets of footprints down there. The two probably are working together."

"Oh no." Eugene said.

"We should hurry down." Kristoff suggested.

Together, the two men rushed down the stairs as fast as they could. Eugene almost lost his footing and almost tripped since he was too focused on getting Rapunzel back. He couldn't allow her to get hurt. If she did, he would never forgive himself. It was obvious to him that all she wanted was to rescue her parents, and though he understood that, he didn't understand why she took it upon herself to do it.

Krostoff ran ahead in the main hall and opened the door to the courtyard open for Eugene. Eugene erushed past Kristoff who closed the door as he went outside. They found Olaf still diggin through the snow, searching for Anna's ring in vain.

"Olaf!" Kristoff shouted.

The snowman looked over at Kristoff and smiled. "Hi Kristoff and Kristoff's friend!" Olaf exclaimed.

The two men rushed over to Olaf and Kristoff kneeled down on the snow in front of Olaf.

"Did you see Anna and Rapunzel pass through here?" Kristoff asked.

Olaf nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Did they tell you to look for something?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you know where they're going?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Can you tell us?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Olaf!" Eugene said. "Can you just answer the questions, please."

"Anna said she was going to show Rapunzel around town." Olaf answered.

Kristoff and Eugene looked at each other. That was obviously a lie. They knew Olaf would have been easily manipulated and believe anything that came from their mouths. Kristoff and Eugene both knew that their wives had quite a head start, and they needed to catch up fast.

"They went to the forest opening in town." Kristoff said, knowing that's the most likely place the girls went.

"Is that far?" Eugene asked.

"From here? It's not close." Kristoff answered.

"Guess we'll need a ride." Eugene said.

Kristoff turned his head to a certain large pair of doors on the wall in the courtyard. That door led to the stables which was usually guarded. They needed a ride to get to the girls quickly. Kristoff stood up and ran to the stables' doors and Eugene followed.

"What is this place?" Eugene asked.

"The stables." Kristoff answered.

Kristoff opened the door to the stables and walked inside. There were many horses locked in their wooden holding areas, and at the far back of the room was Sven who had the most comfortable holding area. Next to Sven was Maximus who was not enjoying the "comfort" of his holding area. A guard stood in between the two men and the horses. He stood half awake and leaning on his spear. Kristoff approached the guard who held his hand out in front of Kristoff.

"A little late to be down here, ice master." The guard said. "What business do you have?"

"I'm just here to get Sven." Kristoff answered.

The guard shook his head. "The Queen says no one may pick up a horse or reindeer in late hours. She fears someone may leave. Sorry Kristoff, but Sven stays here for the night."

"But-"

Eugene walked next to Kristoff and motioned him to step back. "Let me handle this." Eugene said. Kristoff took a step back, and Eugene looked the guard in the eye. "I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice. Here comes the smolder." Eugene gave the guard a puppy dog, smolder face while the guard looked unamused. "This has been an off night for me." Eugene said. "It doesn't usually happen."

The smolder wasn't getting anywhere with the guard, and Eugene knew it. He just needed to buy some time for Maximus. Maximus already opened his wooden gate and was slowly making his way to the guard. Kristoff and Eugene knew that Maximus was approaching from behind the guard but they couldn't give a sign. Soon, the horse was right behind the guard. Maximus took his front right leg and held the hoof next to the guard's head. He then smacked the guard hard, and the guard fell down to the ground, unconscious.

"Max!" Eugene said, hugging the horse who was proud of himself.

"Is he alive?" Kristoff asked.

The horse gave Kristoff a gesture that told him the guard was going to be alright. That was funny since Kristoff had never seen a horse giving a gesture like that.

Kristoff ran to the back of the stables and opened the gate for Sven. Sven jumped out and licked Kristoff.

"Good to see you too, buddy." Kristoff said. "Look, Anna might be in trouble and we need to go after her."

Sven nodded at Kristoff who got on Sven's back. Sven slowly made his way to Maximus and Eugene. Eugene was already on top of Maximus when Sven got there. Eugene had already told Maximus the basic gist of their mission, and he was ready to go. The two men looked at each other, telling each other that they were ready.

They didn't have time to get anymore help. They needed to get to the princesses now.

Maximus and Sven raced out into the courtyard. Olaf was jumping around in front of the horses.

"Let me go, too!" Olaf yelled.

Kristoff held his hand down and picked up Olaf as Sven and Maximus raced past. Olaf jumped into the spot behind Kristoff, ready to go on an adventure, though oblivious as to what was going on.

Sven and Maximus raced onto the stone bridge and crossed it in a matter of seconds. They needed to find the girls quickly before something bad happened to them. They rushed through the city and to the forest opening. Maximus was following Sven since Sven knew the way. Kristoff and Eugene hoped that they could get to the girls quickly before they were long gone.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys! Expect a new chapter every 2 to 5 days and I promise you it will take no more than 5 days for a new chapter. The chapters I make are really long and average out to be around 4000 or so words per chapter so that's why it takes so long. Ciao.


	16. Party Of One

**Chapter XVI: Party Of One**

* * *

There were no more escapees that night. Everyone stayed comfortably in the castle. No one woke up and left to go on a crazy adventure. But, that night, no one noticed anybody leaving. No one but Olaf saw Anna and Rapunzel leave, and no one but the now unconscious guard saw Kristoff, Eugene, Sven, Maximus, and Olaf leave. Even Kai didn't notice the noise outside, and he was pretty much conscious the entire night with his eyes closed.

It was a miracle that Anna and Rapunzel escaped unnoticed. The odds for that were slim, but fate was in their favor as it seems. Now, even though they were unprepared, they had to face and deal with the dangers that lay ahead of them. The following days would've been some of the most dangerous in their lives.

Even though Kristoff and Eugene made some noise, they left unnoticed as well. They both left in such a rush and didn't have time to pack anything with them. They left virtually unprepared and unfit. But, that was alright with them. They thought that it was going to be a quick mission. The basic objective: get their wives back. Didn't sound so hard, right?

Unfortunately for them, Anna and Rapunzel had quite the head start. Also, since Anna didn't know the exact route to get to the specified area, she would be taking a different way than Kristoff thought they were taking, making the chances of Kristoff and Eugene running into them slimmer. That was the girls' advantage over the guys; different directions and different times.

Sure, the guys had a horse and a reindeer and would move much faster, but they weren't dogs. They couldn't track people very well. Even though Maximus tried to track like a dog once, his skills would not be enough to find the girls.

Things looked good for the girls, but they had a few disadvantages. One, they knew where they were going to, but didn't exactly know how to get there. Two, they didn't know that people were chasing after them so they wouldn't have a reason to watch their backs. Anna and Rapunzel expected people to come after them, but since they left at night, they thought they had a nice head start. Unfortunately for them, though they did have a head start, it wasn't much of one.

Anna was lucky Elsa wasn't awake to catch her leave. Although Elsa didn't think she could sleep that night, she eventually did right before Anna dropped into the courtyard. Anna dodged a bullet there. She wouldn't have to face Elsa's infinite wrath.

Anna hated leaving. She hated betraying the trust of her loved ones, but she had to do what was necessary. She brought it upon herself to help bring peace to Arendelle when no one else let her. Sometimes, a woman has to to do what a woman has to do. At least Anna wasn't alone. Rapunzel brought it upon herself to help save her parents. Although her heart was with Elsa and Anna, saving her parents was the only thing that mattered to her.

Rapunzel wanted her husband's help so badly. She knew he would have been a great asset to her, and Maximus too. But, her safety was as much as their concern as it was her's, and they would not let Rapunzel put herself at risk. That was why Rapunzel planned on going alone.

So many left that night that the castle would be silent the next day. Usually during the day, Anna and Olaf would be making some sort of noise within the castle walls. Anna was being as optimistic as she usually was and was usually having fun with things in the castle which almost always ended in disaster. So many people were sent to clean Anna's mess, and though Elsa was getting annoyed of it, she knew that's just how her sister was. And Olaf, was... well, being Olaf.

Elsa was going to miss Anna's mischief when she discovers Anna left. Anna's exploits always made Elsa feel home. Without them, Elsa would feel like she would just be in some lifeless castle.

In her sleep, Elsa tried to remember the best moments in her life to try to forget her current bad situation. She hoped that the fond memories would make the stress of dealing with war to away. Memories played in Elsa's head; her best memories. She remembered the first time she saw Anna. She was only about three when she first saw her mother bring in a baby into the room. Anna had a smile on her face and was always giggling. Baby Anna would grab Elsa's braided hair and play with it but Elsa wouldn't mind.

She remembered the fun they had when they grew up. She remembered teaching Anna how a princess _should _act, but would always remind her that they knew better. She remembered when they were building Olaf that fateful night. Then, she didn't have any great memories about the next few years after she hurt Anna. Those were some of the worst years in her life. Only when she revealed her powers did good memories come.

She remembered bonding with her sister at the party after her coronation. She remembered letting go of herself and building her castle. She remembered the fun they had in the ice skating rink she created. She remembered helping Anna pick out a wedding dress. She remembered meeting Kai for the first time. She remembered her first kiss with Kai. She remembered Anna's wedding and Kai's Captain ceremony.

But, the good memories could not last. The bad, haunting memories played back in her head. She remembered sticking Anna's head with her powers. She remembered locking herself away for thirteen years. She remembered running away from her party. She remembered striking Anna's heart and grieving over Anna's frozen body. She remembered Anna being kidnapped by the bandits. She remembered being betrayed by Travis Summers. She remembered almost dying at the volcano island. She remembered Kai's rage and her being forced to freeze his heart. She remembered Kai's frozen body. Finally, she remembered the horrible, grieving months she faced when she thought Kai was dead.

Those were the absolute worst in her life. She couldn't bear thinking about them any longer. She opened her eyes and quickly sat up on her bed. Sweat was beading down her face. Elsa never usually sweated, which meant that these nightmares took an impact on her.

She reminded herself that all of those horrible things were in the past and that she shouldn't dwell on it. She had to focus on the horrible thing at hand. She looked outside to see the sun barely coming up. The snowy sky was a dark blue color meaning that night was gone. It would be day two of their deadline. She slept through the night having dreams about past memories.

She needed someone to talk to to take the stress off of her. She looked at the wall behind her bed and realized Kai's bed was touching the other side of that wall. Kai's bed mirrored the position of Elsa's bed, meaning that it was on the other side of the wall facing the opposite way to Elsa's bed. That meant that Kai was right on the other side of the wall.

Elsa knocked on the wall. "Kai, you awake?" Elsa asked.

"I am now." said a tired Kai coming from the other wall.

"I thought you were a heavy sleeper." Elsa said, smiling.

"Not anymore." Kai replied. His guard had to be up these days, and if they weren't, he feared that someone was going to pay. "What do you need, princess?" Kai asked.

"Queen." Elsa corrected.

"How can I keep forgetting, babe?" Kai joked.

"I have no clue, honey." Elsa said.

"Let's not use pet names." Kai said.

"Agreed." Elsa said. The two were more comfortable calling each other by their real names, and it was awkward when they did otherwise. "I don't know what I want from you." Elsa teased.

"So you just wanted to annoy me?" Kai asked.

Elsa didn't want him the truth why she asked since she feared that it would be embarrassing for her. Also, she knew how boys always were. She knew he would just pretend to listen and really not care. Elsa was going to annoy him some other way.

"You've said it before and now I want to hear you say it again." Elsa said.

"I'm awesome?" Kai said, asking if that was what Elsa wanted to hear.

"Not what I wanted to hear."

Then, Kai realized what Elsa wanted to hear. He really didn't want to be forced to say it this early in the morning. Then, he realized he didn't really have to say it. "I adore you." Kai said.

"Really?" Elsa asked, annoyed. "Not what I wanted to hear."

"I have a fondness for you." Kai said.

"Not that word. It starts with an L." Elsa was losing her patience. "You've said it before."

"I like you." Kai said.

"Yet again, not the word I want. Why can't you say you love me?" Elsa asked.

"I don't like it when I'm being forced to say it or being asked because then it would have no meaning. It's gotta come out of the heart. Why don't you say it first if you want to hear it so bad?"

"I was going to, but your stupid synonyms kind of annoyed me."

"So no one gets to say it?"

"I guess so."

There was silence among the rooms. Things just got awkward between both of them. Finally, Elsa spoke up. She wanted to get something off of her mind and wanted Kai's help with it.

"How do you think Anna's taking all of this?" Elsa asked.

"You're her sister, which means you probably know better than me." Kai said.

"I probably do, but I still want to know what you think." Elsa said. Elsa didn't expect Kai to know much of what was going on in Anna's mind but she still needed some insight from someone who was not herself.

"She's a strong girl." Kai said. "She can handle a lot."

That statement hurt Elsa. When Kai said that Anna could handle a lot, Elsa realized that she barely gave Anna anything to handle. She realized how sheltering she was being to Anna.

"I wish I had more faith in her." Elsa said

"What do you mean by that?" Kai asked.

"For the past few days, all Anna wanted to do was help. She wanted to be a part of something. Anything, even. But still I turned her away. I thought she didn't know what to do in these situations." Elsa revealed.

"Elsa, Anna has a brain and she knows how to use it."

"Oh, I know, believe me. I should've been a better sister."

Kai hated it when Elsa was looking down upon herself. He hated the negativity that came with her whenever that happened. It took away the smile Elsa would have. The smile that Kai adored. He always made it his job to lift her spirits. But, he didn't know if it would work given the circumstances they were in.

"Elsa, you're a great sister. Both Anna and I know that. She loves you for it." Kai said.

Elsa smiled. "You're just flattering me."

"Enjoy it."

"Get over here and I will." Elsa bit her lip.

Kai smiled. Elsa was acted a bit more suggestive than usual, but he wasn't complaining. But, he knew she was just kidding with him. That was still great news for Kai. Elsa only joked when she was in a good mood, meaning Kai was able to lift her spirits successfully.

"You're joking, right?" Kai asked.

"I don't know." Elsa said. "But first, can you go talk to Anna?"

"What for?" Kai asked.

"Just to see how she was holding up."

"Shouldn't you do it?"

"I asked you first."

Elsa really didn't want to face her sister right now. She feared that Anna would still be mad or sore at her because of what she did, or rather what she didn't do. Elsa told herself that she would go talk when she was ready, and she knew she would be ready depending on how Kai's conversation goes.

"Can you do that for me?" Elsa asked Kai. She heard no response from the room next to her. She knocked on the wall and as she expected, there was no response. Elsa got out of her bed and walked to her door. She opened it up, looked down one side of the corridor, and saw Kai walking away from the end of it. He already accepted Elsa's request. Kai wasn't a guy who would let her down.

Elsa hoped that Anna wasn't mad at her still. Then, she realized how cold the floor was. Even though she tolerated cold, the floor was being annoying to her feet. She quickly walked to her bed and put on some warm slippers that were next to it. She then walked to her wardrobe to prepare herself for the day ahead.

* * *

Kai already knew where Anna was. It was early in the morning, and only a few servants have got up to do their jobs. Most of the guards were not out yet since they usually came later in the day.

Kai knew that Anna would still be in her room with Kristoff. Those two were heavy sleepers and usually didn't wake up until they were told to. If they weren't told to wake up, they would've gotten up around twelve or one o'clock. That was a bad habit for them, and they knew it, but they couldn't help themselves.

Kai walked down the corridor where their room was. As he walked closer to their room, he noticed how the door was slightly opened. That was strange. He quickly walked to the door to see what was up. It was possible they got up early, but they would never force themselves to do that. He looked at the wall to the left of the door and found a dent on it. He looked at the golden door knob and found that it was scratched. He never noticed the scratch or dent before.

Kai opened the door and looked inside. He found that the room was vacant. Before he investigated further, he opened the door wide open so the door knob touched the left wall. The door knob touched the dent over all places. He deduced that the door was slammed open as if someone was in a rush.

Uh oh, Kai thought.

He went inside the room to make sure it was not completely vacant. He looked under the bed and in the wardrobes to see if anyone was hiding, but he saw no one. He discovered both Anna's and Kristoff's sleep wear on the floor. Usually, they both were neat about putting their clothes away, but this time.

"What happened?" Kai asked himself.

Before long, he noticed that the window to the room was open. He looked out the window and looked down. On the snow that went down the rooftop was a large line in the snow as if someone slid down it. The falling snow was filling the line up but it was still visible. He looked down the courtyard and found that there was no one in it, but he still saw many faint footprints that led to the stables and out to the stone bridge.

Kai knew that those footprints couldn't have belonged to their "guests" from the Southern Isles since their footprints would've been covered by the snow and the ones Kai was seeing, though being filled with by snow, were too recent.

Kai was putting two and two together in his mind. He rushed out the room to try to find a servant. Luckily for him, their servant, Gerda, was walking down the corridor. He rushed to her.

"Gerda!" Kai said "Have you seen Anna or Kristoff?"

"Not today, why?" Gerda said.

"Has any servant left the castle this morning?" Kai asked, ignoring her question.

"Not that I know of." Gerda said.

Kai looked past Gerda's shoulder and saw another slightly opened door. He rushed past her and to the door. He realizes that this was Eugene and Rapunzel's room. He opened the door, hoping to find them inside, but as he suspected, they were gone.

"Son of a..." Kai said. He came to one conclusion; Anna, Rapunzel, Kristoff, and Eugene have all escaped.

Kai ran through the corridor and entered another to tell Elsa of what happened. He couldn't believe they would all just leave without a warning. He opened the door to Elsa's room and found her putting on some makeup at her little makeup area.

"Hi, Kai." Elsa smiled. "Did you talk to Anna, yet?"

"She's gone." Kai said.

Elsa's smile faded. She put down the things she had in her hands and stood up. She walked closer to Kai. "What do you mean "gone"?" Elsa asked.

"She's not here. She, Kristoff, Rapunzel, and Eugene all left." Kai answered.

"How do you know?"

"None of them were in their rooms. Gerda hasn't seen thme at all today, much less see them leave. I saw footprints in the snow in the courtyard. They led out." Kai elaborated.

Elsa couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe Anna would just ignore her orders like that and leave. Elsa trusted Anna, and now Anna just took that trust and threw it away. She couldn't believe her own sister would do this to her and put herself at risk.

"Any idea where they're going?" Kai asked.

"The coordinates." Elsa answered. "Anna wanted to go with the guards; a request which I denied. She's probably looking for them in the woods."

"She probably convinced the other three to go with her."

Elsa nodded. "Looks that way. We need to get to them and bring them back."

Kai nodded. "It's too dangerous for any of them to handle." Kai said in agreement. "I should go."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Oh no you're not." Elsa said, concerned.

"I'm the most capable of tracking them down." Kai argued. That was true. As a bandit, Kai was taught how to track people and deduce where a person's location was. It was a skill required by Lyre for Kai. Kai was always successful in finding a person. Not only was he good at tracking, he was great at analyzing and event to see what went down. That's how he knew people escaped the castle.

Elsa wasn't ready to let Kai put himself in harm's way again. She almost lost him once and she wasn't prepared to do it again. Plus, with Kai's condition, she didn't believe he was fit in doing it.

"Kai, because of your shoulder, it's too dangerous for you." Elsa said.

"Don't worry about my shoulder." Kai said. "Worry about your sister. Also, Elsa, you know there's no other person who can track them down."

"Yeah, but-"

"I'll be fine."

"There's got to be another way." Elsa said.

"Elsa, there is no better way. You love Anna, right?" Kai asked. Elsa nodded. "I know how far you'll go to protect her. This is going just as far. I'll bring your sister back to you, safe and sound." Kai continued.

Elsa _was _willing to lose Kai so he can get Anna. She was that important to her. More important than Kai, even.

"Also," Kai said, "it's best if I go alone. I wouldn't want anyone slowing me down. Plus, Arendelle can't risk losing any more guards."

Elsa nodded in agreement with Kai. "Kai, I don't want to lose you too." Elsa said. "You just got back... and..." A tear ran down Elsa's cheek. "Now you're leaving me again."

Kai wiped the tear away. "Tell you what." Kai said. "Why don't we go together?"

Elsa smiled. Why hasn't she thought of that? Sure, Elsa would be leaving Arendelle with a steward in the brink of war, but she realized that family was more important to her than Arendelle. Elsa was glad Kai gave her the offer to help.

"We should get ready." Kai said.

"I'm ready to go." Elsa said.

"I'm not." Kai said. "Go to the courtyard, get a horse from the stables, and wait for me, please." Kai said. He then walked out of the room and into his own room. Kai heard Elsa hurry out of hers and down the corridor.

Kai went to his wardrobe and opened it up. He didn't have many things in it since he usually wore his Captain's outfit. He found the clothes he wore many months ago when he went on an adventure with Elsa. They were his bandit clothes. He took it down and changed into them. The nostalgia came back to his mind. He had done so much in these clothes. They held very fond and un-fond memories.

The reason he was going to wear them was because they offered Kai more mobility. Kai had a feeling he would see some action in his upcoming journey, so he would need some clothes more suited for fighting. They were lighter than his Captain's outfit, for sure.

Kai grabbed a small rope that was in his wardrobe and put it in his pocket. He was going to need it. He then walked to his bed and grabbed his dagger and sword laying on the floor next to it. He strapped both weapons to his waist and walked out of his room.

When he walked outside, he saw Elsa talking to a guard with a black horse near them. Kai walked closer to see what they were talking about, but when he got closer, the guard bowed and walked away. Elsa noticed Kai's presence and turned towards him.

"I got the horse." Elsa said. "This is Shade, the Royal Horse of Arendelle."

Kai petted the horse and it whinnied. "What was that about?" Kai asked, referring to the guard.

"Apparently, he was a witness to the escape. He said he talked to Kristoff and Eugene last night, and he suddenly got knocked out."

"Did he see Anna and Rapunzel?" Kai asked.

"He didn't mention them." Elsa answered. "When he woke up, he saw that Sven and a white horse were gone."

"At least we know who's together." Kai said.

Elsa nodded. "Looks like we only have a day and a half to get the taken back."

"Then our guards better hurry." Kai said.

"We should go, now." Elsa said.

Kai nodded. "But first..." Kai took a step closer to Elsa. "I think we both deserve a kiss for good luck." Kai smiled.

"Oh?" Elsa asked, smiling.

Kai grabbed Elsa closer and kissed her. He turned them around so that Kai was standing where Elsa was standing. As they kissed, he slowly walked forward, forcing Elsa to walk back. She didn't know what he was doing, but she didn't care. The two kept moving until Elsa's back touched a column in the courtyard that supported the roof.

Kai did something with his tongue that Elsa never experienced before. It was weird, but she liked it. She put her hands behind her and around the column. Her hands were then holding themselves together on the backside of the column. Elsa's arms were wrapped around it. From his pocket while kissing, Kai took out his rope, held it in his hand, and wrapped his arms around Elsa while they were wrapped around the column.

Elsa could feel Kai's hands around her's, and then she felt the rope. Her eye's gave a confused look while kissing Kai, and Kai then let go of the kiss. Kai took a few steps back from Elsa and saw her struggling. He arms were tied to the back of the column by the rope, meaning she couldn't move.

"Kai?!" Elsa said.

"Sorry, Elsa, but it's too dangerous for you out there." Kai said. "It's best you stay here."

"Get me out!" Elsa ordered.

"Someone will... eventually." Kai said. "I need to do this alone, so... yeah."

"I'm going to kill you when I get out of here!"

"I'll be long gone."

"We are so over!"

"I admire your humor." Kai knew she was just threatening him with that. She wasn't really going to break up with him... he hoped.

"You son of a-"

"Language, princess." Kai said. "Catch you later."

Elsa struggled to try to get her hands free from the rope, but they were tied expertly. While she struggled, Kai walked to Shade and got on him. Elsa froze the rope in hopes of shattering it, but to no avail. The ice wouldn't work on the rope. The only way she was going to get out of it was to be cut out.

Kai ordered the horse to ran out the gate and onto the stone bridge to which the horse did. Kai looked ahead of them to find footprints in the snow. He assumed they belonged to Kristoff and the others and he followed the trail. He had to hurry before the citizens of Arendelle came out and ruined the trail for him.

Kai ordered the horse to go as fast as it could and they raced through the city.

It only took a few minutes for a guard to come and free Elsa, but by then, Kai was long gone, away from the castle. She knew it was too late for her and that she wouldn't be able to chase after Kai. She was now stuck in her castle, with no friends or family to support her.

Elsa couldn't believe that Kai had done that for her. He feared for her safety, and she feared for his. She knew that Kai was in no physical shape to fight, and yet he left, facing the threat of a fight. At last Kai knew his objective. His goal wasn't to bring the monarch's back, but to bring Anna back before she hurt herself. Although, if Kai was able to bring the kidnapped back, that would be killing two birds with one stone.

Elsa prayed that Anna hadn't hurt herself already. She would never forgive herself if that happened. Also, Elsa and Kai believed that Anna and Kristoff were with Rapunzel, Eugene, Sven, and Maximus. Elsa nor Kai saw Olaf around, so they both assumed he had gone with them. But, they didn't know that there were two different parties. The first party was a party of two with just Anna and Rapunzel. The second party had Kristoff, Eugene, Sven, Maximus, and Olaf, making it a party of five. Now, there was a third party. It was a party if only one: Kai

Elsa walked back into the castle, knowing that she had to face the threat of the Southern Isles alone.

* * *

Bonus: The Making of Frozen III: The Coming Storm

I was thinking about a sequel to Phoenix Fire even before I began writting it. When I started writing Phoenix Fire, I wanted the sequel to it involve crazy things like time travel, alternate universes, and alternate versions of characters. It was kind of ridiculous. The title for that story was going to be Frozen III: Frostbite. I then realized the plot was too complicated so I scratched the idea.

Then, I came up with the idea of a Frozen crossover with Tangled and Brave. The basic premise for this story is similar to The Coming Storm. The premise was a bunch of royal people were kidnapped and it was up to Anna, Rapunzel, and Merida to save them. With that basic premise, I then changed things a bit and added new things. I scratched Merida from the story since I haven't seen Brave yet (don't hate me) and I wouldn't get her personality right. Also, I crossed it out because of the fact that Frozen and Brave take place in different time periods.

So, then there was just Rapunzel and Anna. I realized that the kidnapping of the royals was not enough motivation for the girls to go on an adventure, so I thought about the threat of war on their doorstep. I added that into the story, and I felt that I needed new, unique antagonists. Hans was going to be in it for sure and he was originally going to be the one who kidnapped the royals, but then I realized that he was not a powerful antagonist. That's where I added Cade and Lilith to be the kidnappers, working with Hans.

Kai wasn't originally going to be shot but I wanted there to be more emotional and physical stress between the characters. So, by "killing" Kai off early, it would show how vulnerable everyone was at that time. Also, I wanted to see your guys' reaction.

Kai was always a strong character when I made him. He was described as being able to win every fight. So, I wanted to make a change in that. Strife/Deren was designed to be the anti-Kai, and his rival. But, I wanted a character who was more powerful than Kai and Cade was built around that. Also, by injuring Kai, he would become less of an over powered guy.

Like I said, I wanted more unique antagonists which is where Lilith comes in. She's Cade's love interest which makes both of them unique because when was the last time a Disney villain had a love interest.

I wanted this story to focus more on Anna than Elsa like the Frozen film. I did this because I focused too much on Elsa on Phoenix Fire. But, I also wanted to even out how much they appear in the fanfic. So, the first part of The Coming Storm focused more on Elsa while the second part will focus more on Anna.

Originally, Anna and Co. weren't going to sneak out but since I wanted there to be more emotional tension between the sisters, I changed that. Anna leaving was inspired by Mulan. Anna leaves to help save her country like how Mulan leaves to save her father.

In the end, the "final product" of The Coming a Storm was more darker than it's original plot. Originally, the story was going to be another goofy, fun adventure but now, I changed it to ordeals. The adventure was going to test the physicality of the characters and push them.

If you've read to this point, I'm glad that you actually spent the time to read this little bonus. More chapters for this story is coming your way! Ciao.


	17. Anna's Other Sister

**Chapter XVII: Anna's Other Sister**

* * *

Shade raced through the city with Kai on him. Kai was always paying attention to the snow in front of them, looking at the trail of prints in it. He saw two different pairs of hoof prints, and Kai instantly knew that it was Sven and the other horse, Maximus. But, something was odd about the prints. He noticed actual human footprints also on the ground in front of them. Kai slowed down his horse in the middle of a path in the city. Kai stopped Shade and he got off of the horse.

He knelt down on the ground to examine the footprints further. Kai knew that the difference between Sven's and Maximus' prints; Sven' prints were larger than that or the horse. He noticed that Sven's prints were spread out from each other as in there was a fair distance between the prints. Maximus' prints were also like that, meaning both if the horses were sprinting.

The human prints Kai was looking at were both small, meaning they belonged to a woman's. There were two different pairs of prints, both had a different pattern. Kai knew they belonged to Anna and Rapunzel. The prints weren't that farly spread from each other, telling Kai that the girls weren't exactly sprinting, but they weren't close enough to show that they were walking. Kai deduced that they were both jogging at a pace.

Kai realized a contradiction between the animals' prints and the girls' prints. Though the animal prints were near the girls' prints and it seemed as they were going together, how could they be traveling together if the girls were jogging at a constant pace and the animals' were sprinting at a constant pace.

Kai also noticed that the animal prints looked much more "fresh" and recent than the girls' prints. There was no possible way they traveled together and Kai deduced that. Anna and Rapunzel weren't with Sven and the horse, Kai told himself, meaning they weren't with Kristoff and Eugene. The prints showed that the animals were in a rush. Kai then assumed that Kristoff and Eugene were chasing after the girls, just like Kai was doing.

People would be surprised about the knowledge Kai held about tracking. Kai learned this all when he was a child, working for King Lyre and his bandits. The snow made it easy for anyone to track someone down, but Kai's knowledge gave him exact details. Unskilled trackers would just follow the prints but Kai would not only just follow them, but he would also analyze them, knowing the full truth of what happened.

Kai got back on Shade and ordered him forward. Shade galloped and went into the direction Kai willed him to until Kai stopped him at the entrance to the forest. Ahead of them was a wide, open path surrounded by trees. Kai could see the prints in the snow ahead of them. The prints still matched the girls' and Sven's and Mazimus'.

Kai looked behind him. He wondered why he would bother going if Kristoff and Eugene were doing the same things as he was. Then, he remembered that they weren't as skilled trackers as Kai was. The probability that they were to make a mistake was fairly high. If Kai continues on his search, finding the girls would be a guarantee. Kai looked back in front of him and ordered Shade forward.

The horse sprinted as fast as it could.

* * *

The straight path seemed to lead on forever. Anna and Rapunzel have been walking it for hours. They hoped for at least one turn or change in direction, but the path was still straight. Since they left a few hours earlier than Kristoff and Eugene, their head start was massive. Even though their husbands were riding animals, they were a fair distance away from the girls.

The feet of both girls hurt. They both wanted to just sit down and rest for a moment, but they were in a rush. They didn't have any time to waste. Lives depended on them. Plus, the forest was filled with many dangers. If wasn't safe staying in the same place for a while.

Although exhausted and in pain, Rapunzel was admiring the snow. She opened her mouth for the snow flakes that fell down, catching them with her tongue. She played with the snow using her feet, making strange patterns in it as she walked. She was enjoying herself more than Anna was. Anna looked behind her at Rapunzel and raised her eyebrow.

"Having fun there?" Anna asked Rapunzel.

"Snow is beautiful." Rapunzel said.

"Have you never been to the snow before?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel shook her head. There were so many things in the world that Rapunzel had yet to see. Being confined in her tower for around eighteen years limited her experiences. There were so many places she hadn't been and things she hasn't done. It never really snows in Corona, so when Rapunzel entered Arendelle, that made it the first time she went to the snow.

Rapunzel was enjoying herself at despite the circumstances. That was a quality Anna admired and shared. But somehow, Rapunzel was acting more like a kid than Anna was even though Rapunzel was about three years older.

"People would have woken up by now." Anna said. "The look on their faces when they realize we're gone..."

"They must have been priceless." Rapunzel smiled. Rapunzel then did her best to try to imitate what Eugene would have looked like when he found out. Her mouth as wide open, her eyes were widened with her eye brows high. She then took her hands and put them over her cheeks. Anna giggled at Rapunzel's funny face.

"I bet Krisoff would've looked like this." Anna said. Anna opened her mouth wide opened and twitched her eye. She grabbed her braided hair, one braid in each hand, and pulled them away from each other. Rapunzel managed a long giggle.

It was miraculous that they were able to laugh during a quest as important as this one. But, they needed some laughs during their quest to remind themselves who they were. They couldn't lose their personality during their adventure and become serious. They wouldn't lose themselves as long as they both had a fun loving personality, even when that personality wasn't exactly the most useful during a rescue mission.

The girls put back on they're straight faces and focused on the path ahead of them.

Anna knew that Elsa would send someone to retrieve her, and so she had to watch her back. If Anna and Rapunzel were caught, that was game over and their journey would be for nothing.

Anna thought of the fact that maybe the sent guards would have returned home by now with the monarchs and representatives, and when Anna got to the location, there would be nothing there waiting for her. Anna feared that that might be the case. But, she also thought of the probability that the guards had not rescued them yet. She also thought of the probability that the given location was a phony. There were so many things Anna wasn't sure of, and that didn't give her any comfort.

Though there was only a small chance that Anna's journey would be of any use, she had to at least make sure. If this journey were to be for nothing, she wanted to be confirmed at that by going to the location and seeing it for herself.

Anna looked at Rapunzel and the look she had told that she was having the same thoughts. Rapunzel was just as unsure of their usefulness as Anna was. But, who knows? The guards traveled in a large group, meaning more stops and rests, catering to the needs of a few. Perhaps Anna and Rapunzel could reach the location before the guards did. Maybe they could save the kidnapped people all by themselves?

To the girls, one thing was for certain. They would not return to Arendelle until they help rescue the kidnapped or find that they were not there.

"Anna?" Rapunzel asked.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Rapunzel asked. They have been traveling endlessly for the past few hours and they haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Rapunzel was beginning o doubt Anna's guidance. Rapunzel knew Anna didn't know the exact route, but now she wasn't sure if Anna even knew she was looking for.

"Kristoff told me that it's a flat land area. Probably covered in snow." Anna answered.

Rapunzel looked around and found snow everywhere.

"That's not very specific." Rapunzel said.

"We should just follow the path until we find a large flat area with no trees." Anna said. "I have no idea what's waiting for us there, but that's where we need to go."

"So, the fate of my parents rest on your guesses?" Rapunzel asked.

"Pretty much." Anna said.

Rapunzel stopped in her tracks and Anna looked back to look at her. So many things were going around in her mind right now, and Anna couldn't read them. Anna didn't know if Rapunzel was scared or unsure. Then, Rapunzel shrugged and said "Alright."

The girls kept walking and continued with their stories. Rapunzel was the first one to tell hers. Rapunzel revealed to Anna her life story about how she was separated from her parents by Mother Gothel and how she was raised by her for eighteen years. She then explained her encounter with her husband, Eugene, who was known to her as Flynn Rider when they met. She told Anna about her dream about seeing the floating lights and how she made a deal with Eugene. She then told about Gothel's demise and ended her story with her wedding.

"The wedding my parents were going to?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel looked at her feet. "Yes..." She said quietly.

"It's not your fault." Anna told Rapunzel.

"I don't need to be reminded of that." Rapunzel said. "Let's change the subject. What's your story?"

Anna then explained her story. She first talked about how close she was with Elsa when they were small children, but then told Rapunzel about how Elsa accidentally struck her head with her powers. She then talked about how Elsa kept her distance for the next thirteen years. Then, she spoke about Elsa's Coronation Day and how she thought it was going to be the best day of her life.

"That's the day I met Hans." Anna said.

"I heard about him." Rapunzel said. "Isn't there some bad blood between you and him."

"Not just me." Anna said. "I think he's responsible for all of this."

"What makes you say that?"

"I'll continue my story and you'll see. So, where was I?" Anna asked.

"You were talking about meeting Hans."

"Oh, that's right. So, later that day I got engaged with him, and-"

"Woah, wait." Rapunzel said. "You got engaged to a guy you just met?"

Anna nodded. "Not necessarily the smartest move but-"

"That day!?" Rapunzel asked to which Anna nodded to.

"Can we just get back to my story?" Anna suggested, sick of getting the same reaction from everyone.

"Who does that?!" Rapunzel asked.

"Actually, a lot of princesses do it." Anna answered.

Rapunzel put her finger on her cheek and looked at the sky. She was thinking about Anna's statement. She realized that was true. There were so many stories about princesses marrying the person they just met in the name of "true love". It seems that Anna wasn't the only one. But, Rapunzel still believed that one should wait to get married. Even Rapunzel waited a few months for her marriage.

"Are we done talking about this?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel nodded and Anna continued her story. She continued with telling Rapunzel about how Elsa revealed her powers to everyone when she got mad at Anna after finding out about the engagement. She then spoke about going on a journey to find Elsa where she met Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. She then talked about how Elsa struck Anna's heart and how she learned that only an act of true love could save her. She talked about how she learned of Hans' true self when she got home. She then talked about how her heart was thawed by protecting Elsa from Hans.

That was the end of Anna's greatest adventure, but then she spoke about what happened next. She talked about how she fell in love with Kristoff, waited a few months to get married, and their wedding day.

"That must have been a romantic day." Rapunzel said.

"Actually, about that. Before we were officially named husband and wife, Kai kind of crashed in."

"The Captain of the Guard?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well, back then, he wasn't our Captain of the Guard. Travis Summers held that position."

"Who's that?"

"Just listen."

Anna continued talking. She told about how the wedding was cancelled but the party was still going on. She then revealed that she was kidnapped by Bandits and how Elsa and Kai went on a journey to save her. She then told Rapunzel how Kai used to be a Bandit and how Travis Summers _was _a Bandit. She talked about being held captive by King Lyre and how Elsa was also kidnapped. She talked about how she was able to convince Lyre to change his ways and free the girls so that Elsa could stop an eternal winter in Teranhall. Anna then told Rapunzel about her wedding in the woods, with a troll as the priest.

"Then we thought we lived happily ever after." Anna said. "But then, Kai went missing was thought to be dead for three months. Elsa isolated herself once again for those months. When Kai came back, we were all happy again. Then, the war stuff came."

"And we find ourselves here." Rapunzel finished for Anna, giving a sad look.

Anna moved back to walk next to Rapunzel and she put her hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"Lighten up, will ya?" Anna said. "All we need to do is save a bunch of dignitaries from a group on maniacs who are led by a super skilled warrior and his lover. Plus, we also need to find a way to these maniacs. All of this to prevent the destruction of a kingdom. Also, we may or may not have people chasing after us."

"Sounds easy enough." Rapunzel smiled. Anna explained the situation so casually like she did that for a hobby. "So, is there anything I should know about Elsa?"

"She has ice powers." Anna said, as if people have not been talking about it.

"I know that, but what else?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well, she's pretty nice and sweet when she's in a good mood. She usually is, but in times like these..."

"Got it." Rapunzel said. "What about Kai?"

"He has fire powers." Anna said.

"I've heard a little about that." Rapunzel said. "I'm assuming the two are a couple." Anna nodded. "Are they married?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna shook her head. "They're together, but not married. Not enough time has passed."

"Ah." Rapunzel said.

The girls kept walking until Rapunzel fell, tired. Anna sat down next to her, also exhausted. They didn't know how much further the place was, but they feared that they had to find out. Anna looked ahead of them to find that the straight path ended about a few meters ahead of them. Anna tapped Rapunzel's shoulder and pointed at it. The path then split into two directions; one going left and the other going right.

"That's great and all," Rapunzel said, "but there's one problem. Do we go left or right?!"

Anna's smile faded and her eye was twitching. They had to make the right choice. They had no idea where each path went, and if their guess was wrong... They could only think on the positive side. They couldn't make a wrong guess. Arendelle depended on it.

Rapunzel looked at Anna and saw the distressed face she had. Rapunzel was more used to the cheerful face Anna always kept but now that was gone. Rapunzel didn't want to lose the Anna she knew. Even though now wasn't really the time that called for it, Rapunzel wanted to put a smile back on Anna's face. She felt that she needed to take the part of an older sister and keep Anna happy.

Rapunzel got up and jogged to the side of the path, behind a tree. Only Anna was left on the path.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked Rapunzel, looking at the tree she was hiding behind.

Rapunzel's hand appeared from the side of the tree with a snowball in it. Rapunzel threw the snowball and it flew towards Anna. Unfortunately for Anna, she didn't have enough time to react. The snowball hit Anna's face, to which she was unamused to. Rapunzel stuck her head out from behind the tree to show Anna her laughter, but then, a snowball met Rapunzel's face and Anna started to laugh.

Rapunzel quickly made another snowball and threw it at Anna. Luckily for Anna, she was expecting it. Anna rolled to the side and dodged the snowball. Anna then threw a snowball of her own at Rapunzel, but Rapunzel hid her head back behind the tree. When Rapunzel stuck her head out again, Anna was nowhere to be seen. Rapunzel turned her head around to scan the area, but she still couldn't find Anna. Then, from behind a tree, a snowball flew and hit Rapunzel's face. Rapunzel wiped the snow out of her eyes and looked to see Anna peeking her head out from behind a tree.

"This means war." Rapunzel said.

For the next few minutes, the girls kept throwing snowballs at each other, using the trees as cover. Snowballs were flying everywhere and they were having the time of their life. The fun Anna was having reminded herself of the fun she used to have with Elsa when they were younger. The sisters would always play games like this for fun, but that all changed when Elsa struck Anna's head. Anna missed having fun like this. Even after Elsa revealed her powers to everyone, she didn't play that many games with Anna. She was too busy being mature.

Anna now saw Rapunzel as a sister. The sister Anna longed to have for quite a while. Anna was the closest thing Rapunzel had to a sister, and she longed for someone to hang out with who could relate to her.

When the snowball fight died down, Anna stuck her head out from the tree and looked to the left at the trail. In the distance, she saw two figures in the distance. Anna motioned Rapunzel on the other side of the path to stop throwing snowballs, to which Rapunzel did. The figures in the distance grew bigger, meaning they were getting closer to the girls. Then girls then saw that one was grey and the other was white.

Rapunzel motioned for Anna to get down on the snow and hide, to which both girls did. The sound of galloping in the snow got louder and louder. The girls then saw that it was Sven and Maximus with Kristoff and Eugene riding them. They could make out Olaf riding behind Kristoff. The group of boys raced past the trees where Anna and Rapunzel were hiding and to where the path ended and split in two.

"To the left!" The girls heard Kristoff yell. The men then turned their rides to the left and sprinted down that way.

Although the men weren't exactly dumb, they weren't the best at tracking. They completely ignored the girls' footprints as they rode their animals. Kristoff was so sure that he knew where Anna was going that he decided that they would just meet her on the way. Kristoff and Eugene were taking a route that led to the coordinates that Cade gave, and they assumed that the girls were taking the same route.

The girls got out of hiding and met each other in the middle of the path.

"That was close." Anna said.

"There's no doubt that those are our husbands." Rapunzel said. "Where do you think they're going?"

Then, Anna thought about it. If Kristoff assumed Anna knew where to go, he would go to that area in hopes that she would already be there.

"They're going to the location." Anna said.

"What makes you so sure?" Rapunzel asked.

"Now you're the one asking a bunch of questions." Anna joked. "Just trust me, I'll explain on the way. We go left."

The girls ran to where the path ended and prepared to turn left. But, the girls stopped when they saw something in the distance of the left path. They saw many grey figures slowly making their way towards the girls. The figures became more clear as they got closer. Soon, when they were close enough, the girls could make out who they were. Wolves. Their fangs were out and they were snarling.

Rapunzel looked behind them, at the path they just came from and found more grey figures in the distance. The closer they got, the more someone couldn't have mistaken them to be something else. More wolves were creeping up from the path they had just gone from. Rapunzel tapped Anna's shoulder and pointed at the other wolves.

Two groups of wolves were now making their way towards the girls from two different directions. The girls looked to the right path, the path they weren't supposed to go on. They found that it was clear with no wolves.

"Right's probably our best bet." Rapunzel said.

"Right looks good." Anna said, and Rapunzel nodded. They started running on the path to their right, and the wolves followed them, running.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter was a little short compared to other chapters. I wanted this chapter to focus more on the bonding between Anna and Rapunzel than the part with the wolves. Ciao.


	18. Wolves

**Chapter XVIII: Wolves**

* * *

Anna and Rapunzel ran to the path on their right as fast as they could. It was instincts that kicked in. Even though wolves are known to be faster than humans were, the girls' first instinct was still to run. Not to fight off the wolves. Not to play dead. Run. But, who could blame them. Most people unexperienced with dealing with wolves would've done the same thing. Also, it seemed that running was the best option. They had no weapons to defend themselves with except for a frying pan, and they didn't have the skills to fight off the wolves. Also, they wolves knew well that they were alive, so playing dead wouldn't have necessarily helped. Still, running away was a mistake. It triggered the wolves' predatory instinct, automatically making them chase the girls.

Luckily for the girls, they had quite a head start from the wolves. They were about three hundred meters away from the wolves that were coming in from the left path, and about that same distance from the path back. But, their distance wouldn't have made much of a difference. Wolves were fast, and they would close in on the girls in no time.

Anna and Rapunzel ran as fast as they could. Their top speed seemed to be the same. The two sprinted together through the snow. Sprinting was already exhausting, but sprinting through the snow was breath consuming. Anna was forced to outrun a giant snowman before but wolves were different. They were much, much faster than Marshmallow. Also, the wolves were smarter than Marshmallow. They knew how to catch their prey.

As they ran, Anna looked behind her shoulder. She saw the wolves all running at different speeds, meaning they were spaced out from each other. She counted twelve wolves in all. She didn't know if they were two separate packs since she saw two different groups a minute earlier or if they were just one group who meant to ambush the girls from two sides. It really didn't matter since surviving was all that mattered right now.

Anna turned her head to look in front of her. The path was nothing but straight. There were no turns or obstacles ahead of them. Under different circumstances, that would've been great for them. Unfortunately for them, it only made their situation harder.

Now, some of the wolves were closing in on the girls. They were being chased for only a few seconds and some of the wolves have already caught up. Most of the wolves were further back, and running slowly. The reason for that was because they wanted the wolves in the front to do the work and kill the girls while they stayed back and take the prize when it was killed.

Ahead, Rapunzel saw something that would be their life saver. In the middle of the path about two to three hundred meters ahead of the girls was a large tree. It stood about three times higher than the rest of the trees, and there were large branches that stuck out from it. Rapunzel figured that if they got to and climbed the tree, they would be safe from the wolves.

Rapunzel poked Anna, who was to her left, running right next to the trees, and pointed at the large tree. Anna smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what Rapunzel planned to do. They were getting closer to the tree, but the wolves had gotten closer to them. Rapunzel took her frying pan out of her satchel, knowing that she would be needing it. She looked behind and found a wolf jumping towards Anna.

Rapunzel swung her frying pan and hit the wolf right before it made contact with Anna. The wolf' body rolled back and hit the wolf that was running behind it. Now, two wolves were down, leaving ten to go.

Rapunzel felt confident. She thought that she would be able to take all of the wolves. She wanted to stop and just fight them off but she knew that was suicide. The wolves would have easily overwhelmed her and killed her. Rapunzel asserted that the tree was still their best bet on surviving.

Anna knew that there was another wolf closing in on them. She felt that it was her turn to take a wolf down. Anna looked above her and found that they were running under the shade of the trees, meaning that the leaves covered in snow were above them. Anna looked to her left and found the trunks of all of the trees. She then looked back to see a wolf almost at their heels.

Anna kicked one of the tree trunks with her left leg as they ran. The tree shook, and the snow on top of it fell to the ground and over the wolf that was close to them. It's entire upper body was covered in snow, but the back part was still sticking out. It wailed it's back legs and tail but it still couldn't get out. The snow was too thick. The wolves behind it just rushed past it, ignoring their fallen comrade.

Three wolves down. Nine remained. Anna was getting just as confident as Rapunzel was, but that confidence faded when she saw some more wolves running faster. She looked ahead and saw that they still had a ways to go to get to the tree.

"We won't make it before we're eaten!" Anna said.

"Think positive." Rapunzel said.

A stupid idea came up in Rapunzel's head. She greatly doubted that it would work, but the frying pan has never failed her before. It was ridiculous and childish, but it might be able to save her life. She grabbed the handle of the frying pan with her left hand and held it. She then took her right hand and grabbed the side of the frying pan. She then took her left hand off of the handle and prepared to throw it like a frisbee with her right hand.

She threw the frying pan like the frisbee at the wolf nearing them, but unfortunately, the wolf moved to the side with the frying pan missing it. The frying pan flew behind the wolf and hit the wolf behind it in the face, knocking it out. The frying pan then bounced off the face of that wolf and flew towards the back legs of the wolf closing in on the girls. When the frying pan hit it's legs, it stopped running, and fell forward on the snow. It then rolled forward in the snow quickly, and as it rowed, layers of snow covered it's body and it was soon covered in a giant ball of snow.

Five down, seven to go. They were only about 50 meters away from the tree, and more of the wolves began to catch up.

The girls were able to get under the branches of the trees before they were eaten, but one wolf was too fast. Rapunzel and Anna turned back to see the wolves' distance, but right when Rapunzel turned, a wolf tackled her to the ground. Rapunzel was trying to push the wolf off of her body with all of her might, but the wolf's will to eat her was too strong. Rapunzel moved her head away from the wolf's snapping teeth. Before the wolf could do any harm to Rapunzel, Anna kicked the wolf away as hard as she could, and it whimpered as Anna's foot met it's stomach.

Anna offered Rapunzel her hand. Rapunzel took Anna's hand and she helped pull her friend up. Before Anna could ask if Rapunzel was alright, Anna noticed how close the wolves were.

"Climb!" Anna yelled.

Anna and Rapunzel ran to the tree and started to climb it with Anna in the lead. They were unexperienced with climbing trees, but they had a general idea of how to do it. If Anna could barely climb a mountain, she could climb a tree. Rapunzel was about seven feet of the ground when the wolves arrived at the tree. One of the wolves jumped and almost bit her leg, but Rapunzel took it away from the wolf's reach just in time before she had to say good bye to her leg.

Anna sat on the lowest hanging branch, which was still pretty large and sturdy. It hung about fifteen feet over the ground and was about ten feet long. Rapunzel got on another branch on the opposite side of the tree about four feet higher than the one Anna was on. They expected for the wolves to give up, but the wolves were still looking up at the girls with snarling teeth. They weren't ready to give up their prey just yet. The wolves continued, aimlessly, jumping at the girls and trying to bite them. Both girl's were too high for the wolves to be able to touch them.

Anna made her way from hugging the trunk to the middle of the large branch. She slowly slid her body down the branch. Her feet were dangling down the side. Snow from the branch started to fall down because of Anna's movement. Anna then stuck her tongue out at the wolves and making weird faces at them.

"Haha, you can't kill me!" Anna taunted. She started doing weird taunting motions with her arms at the wolves.

Then, she heard a snapping noise. She looked over at where the branch met the trunk and saw the it was breaking. Uh oh, Anna thought. She slowly and carefully slid to her right, trying to get closer to the branch. But, she wasn't quick enough. The branch snapped and it swung down onto the truck with Anna hugging the branch for dear life. While she hugged it, she slid down to the very end of the branch.

Before the branch slapped the side of the tree, Anna opened her arms so that they arms wouldn't get injured upon impact. When the branch smacked the tree, Anna's chest was smacked, hurting her. Her upper body fell back, but she had no intention for her to die to the wolves. She hugged the trunk with her legs while her upper body fell back. Now, she was upside down with the only thing keeping her on the tree was her legs.

Unfortunately for her, she was only about five feet off the ground, making it possible for the wolves to attack her. The wolves slowly made their way to Anna who gave them a nervous smile. Then, before a wolf could bite Anna's head, a snowball flew from the tree onto it's head. The angered wolf looked up to see what was happening, but another snowball met it's head.

Anna was able to see, upside down, where the balls were coming from. Rapunzel was on her branch, making snowballs from the snow on it, and throwing them down at the wolves.

"Climb!" Rapunzel told Anna.

Anna tried to swung her body up and grab the trunk with her arms, but was unsuccessful. Luckily for her, Rapunzel was buying her enough time by distracting the wolves with snowballs. On her second attempt, Anna successfully swung her upper body up and grab the trunk with her arms. She then proceeded to climb it while Rapunzel threw snowballs. Rapunzel was able to block a wolf with a larger snowball from biting Anna's leg as she climbed.

Soon enough, Anna was far from the wolves' reach. She got onto a branch that was higher than Rapunzel's branch. This time, Anna didn't slide to the middle. She was perfectly fine where she was.

"They still look pretty hungry." Rapunzel said.

"As evident from the fact that they're still trying to kill us." Anna joked. "Thanks for saving my life."

"Consider us even." Rapunzel replied.

One wolf jumped at the trunk, in hopes of trying to climb it but it slid down immediately. The six wolves circled the tree, looking for something that would help them get the girls down, but they couldn't find anything.

"What's the plan?" Anna asked Rapunzel who was on another branch.

"We should just wait them out. They'll leave eventually." Rapunzel suggested.

"We haven't got all day!" Anna said.

"Well, what do _you _think we should do?" Rapunzel asked.

"We should throw stuff." Anna said.

"But-"

Before Rapunzel could continue to speak, Anna grabbed a pine cone that was hanging under the branch she was sitting on and threw it down at the nearest wolf. Anna threw it down with all of her might, and it met the wolf's head. A huge bump grew where the pine cone hit it and it's eyes became spirals. The wolf then fell to it's side, unconscious.

Anna looked at Rapunzel was surprised. "Okay..." Rapunzel said. "That might just work."

Rapunzel and Anna both grabbed a pine cone, and Anna pointed at a wolf, telling Rapunzel that the wolf should be their target. The wolf saw what happened to the other one, and was expecting it. It was looking up at both Anna and Rapunzel. Anna threw her pine cone down at the wolf first, but it caught it with it's mouth and broke the pine cone with one bite.

The wolf wasn't expecting something to come at it so quickly. Immediately, a snowball made by Anna met it's eyes, virtually blinding it temporarily. That was Rapunzel then threw her pine cone at the wolf, but it wasn't knocked out even though she hit it's head. The girls grabbed another pine cone and threw it down at the wolf, and continued that process. Pine cones were raining down on the wolf until it whimpered and ran away.

Now, only four wolves remained. The one that ran away was not enough to intimidate them from leaving the girls. They still expected their lunch, but the girls were still unwilling to give it to them. The girls looked at each other and smiled. As they looked at each other, the both grabbed another pine cone. They both tossed their pine cone in the air and caught it. This was going to be fun.

Pine cones and snow balls were raining down on the remaining four wolves. They ran around the tree, trying to protect themselves from the coming projectiles. Anna and Rapunzel's aim was extraordinary. They barely missed any wolf. Their supply of projectiles seemed unlimited. Seemed.

Soon, Anna was out of snow from her branch and pine cones. She then looked up to see the endless supply of ammo on the branches. She quickly climbed up the tree and sat on another branch. She continued raining down armageddon on the wolves.

One of the wolves became tired of running. It stopped and sat on it's butt. It took the paws from his front legs and put them over his head, trying to protect it. It might as well have been waving a white flag. Anna and Rapunzel knew that that wolf would no longer be a threat to them. Only three threatening wolves remained.

Anna made the biggest snowball she could. It was about the size of her head if not bigger. She was going to bring the hurt with this snowball. She grabbed pine cones and stuck them into the snowball. It fit about four pine cones in all. Anna held her creation above her head and searched for a wolf. She saw a certain wolf running around. Anna tossed her snowball at it, hoping that it would make it to it's target. The snowball hit it in the head, and it fell to the ground. The snow and pine cones were covering it's head, so it looked like it's head was buried in the snow.

The two running wolves stopped running and walked to their friend. They unburied the wolf and found him alive, but dazed. The two wolves growled at the girls and stepped away from the tree. They had no intent to eat the girls anymore. They didn't want to put themselves in further trouble.

Anna noticed their fear, and that gave her confidence. She quickly climbed down from her branch and climbed down. When she was close enough to the ground, she dropped down onto the snow. Rapunzel was unsure if that was a smart idea for Anna, and she needed to help protect her. Rapunzel then also climbed down from her branch and landed next to Anna. She took out her frying pan, preparing to strike if the wolves came any closer.

The wolves just growled and backed away from the girls.

"Yeah, that's right!" Anna said. "You don't know who you're messing with!" Anna took a quick step forward to taunt them, and they stepped back. "See your friends? That's you if you don't stop messing with us!"

"I think they get it." Rapunzel said.

"You want a piece of me?!" Anna asked. Anna grabbed Rapunzel's frying pan, held it in the air, and started to run at the wolves. The wolves growled and ran away down the path they were chasing the girls from. "Tell your friends what you saw!" Anna screamed.

An irritated Rapunzel yanked her frying pan away from Anna. Anna turned back to look at Rapunzel, and she found her left shoulder scratched. The fabric from her dress was gone, and five bloody cuts were all lined in it.

"Rapunzel, you're bleeding." Anna said.

Rapunzel looked at her shoulder, and put her hand over it. When she took her hand out blood was on her hands. She figured the wolf must've scratched her when it tackled her to the ground. She didn't know why she didn't notice it before, probably because there were more important things to worry about, but now it stung like crazy.

"I'll be fine." Rapunzel said.

"You'll get it infected if we don't get medicine." Anna said. "Come on, we need to find help."

Anna and Rapunzel walked to the opposite side of the tree they were at and found that the path continued. They walked down the new path, knowing it was new since there were no footprints. The entire time they were walking, Rapunzel was putting her hand over her shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding. They didn't have to walk for long to see a glimmer of hope. In the distance, they were able to see smoke in the sky.

"Fire!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

The girls didn't realize how cold they were, especially Rapunzel who was wearing the same dress she usually wore. Also, they heard two growling sounds. They looked around to see what it was only to realize that it came from their stomach. They were hungry, cold, and to top it off, Rapunzel was hurt. They prayed that wherever the fire was coming from be their salvation.

The girls jogged through the snow to get to the smoke. As the smoke got bigger, so did their hopes. They had to run through the trees to get to the smoke as it was off the path. When the trees cleared up, the found themselves in an area with no trees. There was a frozen river surrounding the area, and one small building in the center of it all. Smoke was coming out of the chimney.

The girls looked at each other, smiled, and started to laugh. They made it to safety. At least they hoped it was safety. They ran to the front of the building where the door was. Two statues of trolls were next to the door, one on each opposite side. A huge sign covered in snow hung above their heads. Anna hit the sign, and the snow fell down to the wooden floor beneath them. Now, the sign had words on it.

"Wandering Oaken's Trading Post!" Anna exclaimed. She remembered this place quite well. It would be the first place she met her husband, Kristoff. It was also the place where she got her winter dress.

The snow from another smaller sign hanging from the below the sign fell. Words also appeared.

"Ooo, and Sauna!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

* * *

Elsa sat at her desk in her study, reading some papers. She really wasn't paying attention to anything they said since she had too much on her mind. Usually, she always had someone to comfort her, but now everyone was gone. Anna was gone. Kristoff was gone. Olaf was gone. Kai was gone. She was alone now and had to deal with the stress by herself.

Elsa didn't noticed the tears coming from her cheek. She wiped them off, and tried her best to stop crying. She couldn't look vulnerable in her current predicament.

She couldn't believe Ander would not listen to her. Even more so, she couldn't believe that he would believe Hans after all he had done. She felt like she knew Hans better than Ander did. She felt sorry for the deceased King, and she felt sorry that this was his legacy.

The door to her study was knocked on. She stood up made sure her face had no signs of tears, and walked to it. She opened it up to find one of her guards.

"Prince Hans would like to speak with you, your majesty." The guard said.

Elsa'a eyes showed slight anger. "Bring him in." Elsa ordered.

The guard nodded and walked off to get that weasel.

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this "action" focusing chapter. I know some of the things that happened are kind of ridiculous, but I wanted to add some humor in the action such as a frying pan as a frisbee/boomerang. Also, I know that, in real life, the wolves would've easily caught up to the girls, but I tried to make this action part like something Disney would do with combinations of other things. Ciao.


	19. Hans' Offer

**Chapter XIX: Hans' Offer**

* * *

Honestly, Elsa didn't know how her conversation with Hans was going to go. With him, it was never certain. That man was unpredictable. She didn't know what he would and would not do. She had suspicions that it was he who killed his father, but even Elsa had to cut him some slack for that. No one in their right mind would kill their own father, she thought, not even the power hungry Hans.

Unfortunately, Elsa didn't know that Hans _would _go that far.

Elsa really didn't want to face Hans after all that happened. He would just put some gasoline on the fire for her. Was he coming to taunt her? Or was he coming for something much worse? Elsa feared the latter. It seems that wherever Hans went, bad things tend to happen to the people around him.

Elsa was standing, facing the glass door that led to her balcony. She saw the reflection of her study in the glass. She was looking at the reflection of the door, waiting for Hans to walk in. When the door finally opened, it was not Hans but a guard. Then, the guard just stood in the doorway and held the door open, allowing Hans to walk in. When Hans was clear from the door's way, the guard closed the door while walking out.

Hans saw Elsa's couch in the corner, walked to it, and made himself comfortable.

"Please, get off my couch." Elsa said.

"I'm your guest." Hans said. "You should do your best to make me feel comfortable."

Elsa turned to face Hans. "Why should I give hospitality to someone who's going to fire upon my home tomorrow?" She said angrily.

Hans smiled. "Queen, that isn't me. Thats all King Ander's doing."

Elsa was getting sick and tired of Hans' behavior. He acts as though he had nothing to do with anything diabolical. Elsa knew he was up to something, but she had no proof to expose him.

"What do you want?" Elsa asked, irritated.

Hans stood up from the couch and slowly walked closer to Elsa. Before he could be three feet away from Elsa, his foot was immobilized and cold. He looked down at his left foot to find it frozen to the ground by ice covering it. Hans' smirk faded, and he looked angrily at Elsa, trying to pull his foot out of this ice.

"Don't get any closer." Elsa said. She wanted Hans to keep his distance since she didn't trust him close to her. Many others would understand her caution.

"You should be nicer to me, your majesty." Hans said.

"Well, you tried to kill me and left my sister to die, so forgive me if I'm acting slightly bitter." Elsa said, casually.

Hans gave her an angered look. She assumed that he knew to keep his distance, so she thawed the ice around his foot, freeing it. He bent down to see if it was alright. There were no damages to it, except for the numbness that came with the cold. Other than that, his foot was fine. Elsa hoped that the ice would've done more natural damage to Hans, but his foot wasn't frozen long enough.

Hans stood back up straight. "I apologize for my... past deeds."

"Do you expect me to just accept when you're declaring war on Arendelle?" Elsa asked.

"No, I don't." Hans said. He didn't expect Elsa's hatred and bitterness to go away anytime soon, and that only made his plans harder for him. He still had confidence in what he was about to do, though. He was very persuasive. Persuasion was a skill that helped Hans achieve many things in his life.

"I ask again." Elsa said after a long pause in their conversation. "What do you want?"

Hans put his right hand over his chest, closed his eyes, and bowed. "I offer you my help."

"I don't need the help of a liar." Elsa said.

"You could at least hear the conditions of my offer." Hans said.

Elsa walked away from her balcony window and to her desk. She sat on her large chair, leaned back, and crossed her arms. Hans stood on the opposite side of her desk with his arms crossed behind his back.

"Proceed with the conditions." Elsa said, ready to get it all over with. She didn't see how Hans could help her in any way, and if anything, he was probably going to make things worse for her. Nothing he could say or do would change her mind about him, making her think anything Hans attempts to do to redeem himself will be futile. Also, she didn't know why he would help. He was the one that helped with all of this chaos, and he wants to help her? She knew something was up.

"As far as Ander knows, Kai was the only one involved for sure with the murder." Hans said.

"Which he wasn't." Elsa said, sick of having to remind people of Kai's innocence.

"Ander doesn't know that for sure." Hans continued. "Also, he doesn't know if the murder or kidnappings are connected, if they even _are _connected."

"What's your point?" Elsa asked.

"I am and will be able to convince Ander that Arendelle is not involved in any of this." Hans said.

"So he'll send his navy away from my docks?" Elsa asked.

"That's what I'll make him do." Hans said. "I promise you that Arendelle will have no further trouble from the Southern Isles, and we'll consider the events during the peace council unrelated"

Even if the Southern Isles did stop blockading Arendelle, it still doesn't change the fact that there were people out there who still needed to be rescued assuming they weren't killed already. Although, it would take some stress of Elsa if she knew that Arendelle didn't need to worry about the Southern Isles.

"Sounds too good to be true." Elsa said. "What's the catch?" Elsa knew Hans wanted something in return. He would never do something like that from the good of his heart. She had a feeling she wouldn't like what he wanted.

"Don't consider it a catch." Hans said. "Consider it a favor for a favor."

"What is it you request?" Elsa asked. She highly doubted they were favors.

"It would help your case much better if you did this for me." Hans continued. "We go to Ander, and show him how much in love we are."

The word "love" sickened Elsa coming from Hans. What he was suggesting to her was beyond crazy, and she wanted no part in it. But, she had to hear him out at least.

Hans continued to speak. "Knowing our true feelings for each other, he wouldn't hurt the woman I love. He would be convinced of your innocence. Then, we marry in good faith. Soon, I become King of Arendelle, and I get the power I wanted and deserve. The Southern Isles will leave your kingdom alone, and a relationship will be built between them. It's a win-win situation."

Elsa was now positive Hans was crazy. She couldn't believe he was suggesting such a ridiculous idea. Actually, she _could _believe it. Hans was unpredictable, meaning this would have been expected from him.

Hans' revenge would have to take a backseat when it came to him getting power. Originally, he wanted Elsa's head on a silver plate, but when he saw this opportunity, he couldn't help but take it. He would do whatever he could to get power, even if it means marrying a woman he despises.

"Why would I want to marry you?!" Elsa asked, angrily.

"If you cherish your kingdom, you'll marry me. You may not want to, but life is filled with things you don't want." Hans answered.

"I don't really think it's worth it. I'm protecting my kingdom from one predicament and then I'll live a loveless marriage, giving you the power you do no deserve." Elsa countered.

"Your kingdom will be destroyed with me." Hans said, angrily.

"I have men rescuing people, and they'll prove to Ander that Arendelle is innocent. Or have you forgotten that deal?" Elsa asked. She'd rather take her chances with her guards saving the representatives and monarchs than what Hans was offering.

"I have not forgotten. I have a feeling they won't be coming back." Hans said.

"You sound so sure about that." Elsa said.

"Don't mind." Hans said.

"If Kai was here, he would kill you." Elsa exaggerated. She wondered what exactly Kai would do to Hans if he knew what he was talking to her about.

"Then where is he?" Hans asked.

Elsa opened her mouth to tell him, but she closed it, not trusting Hans with that information. She had suspicions, like anyone with her mentality and experience with Hans would, that he was involved in everything. If she told him about Kai's whereabouts, who knew what he would do with that information? She had to keep him in the dark about everything.

"He's not in my study, that's for sure." Elsa said, ready to move on to another topic.

"But-" Hans was interrupted.

"Have you forgotten I'm romantically involved with Kai?" Elsa asked.

Hans gave a smile. "Ah yes, in love with your beloved Captain of the Guard. You don't need to be so formal with your words."

"Fine, then. Have your forgotten I am in love with Kai?" Elsa asked, again.

"As a matter of fact, I have not." Hans said.

"I won't be unfaithful to him." Elsa said. "Especially with you." She really, so badly wanted to see what Kai would do to Hans if he overheard their conversation. It saddened her to remember he was gone.

"I'll elaborate more with my deal. All Ander knows is that Kai killed our father. He wants Kai's head on a plate." Hans said. "Someone has to take the fall, and it might as well be the person who people are pointing fingers at."

"What are you asking me to do with Kai?" Elsa asked, with slight anger in her voice.

"Turn him in, and expose him as the criminal. Then, everything goes as I said it will go." Hans said, firmly.

"He didn't do it!" Elsa said.

Hans quickly leaned in closer to Elsa, and slammed his hands on her large desk. "I know what I saw!" Hans said. "A man with black hair, blood red eyes, and the power of fire killed, and scarred my father!"

Elsa was offended. She was offended by the way Hans was accusing Kai of such a deed, and the way he described Kai. Kai'a eyes weren't blood red. They were a nice, warm red, the color of the sky when the sun set. Elsa could see through those eyes, and she could see that Kai was no murderer.

"Do we have a deal?" Hans asked.

Elsa was desperate. Desperate to save her kingdom and the lives of countless innocent people. Desperate to protect her friends and family from the horror that came with war. Desperate to protect herself from being exposed to the burden war will carry on her.

Elsa stood up from her chair, and sensually walked around her desk to Hans. She stooped about a foot away from him, and he gave her a confused look. He didn't know what she was doing or why she was acting that way. Elsa gave Hans a suggestive look with her eyes, and Hans knew exactly what was going on. He was liking her seductive manner.

"I'll tell you what I think about the deal." Elsa smiled.

Hans leaned in to kiss her, thinking she would do the same. He could get used to this behavior if Elsa became his wife. Then, before their lips touched, Elsa spit on Hans' face. He opened his eyes to see her angered face. He wiped the spit off of his lips and nose, and wiped them on his shirt. He had a feeling he wasn't going to win Elsa over, even with the many things he offered her.

When he looked back at Elsa, she slapped him hard in the face. He felt how cold her hands were. Only when he fell to the floor from the force of Elsa's slap did he truly know how angry Elsa was at him. His cheek was more cold than it was numb. He rubbed it, and looked up. He gave her a dirty look, and she returned the favor.

"I would never kiss a scumbag like you, much less marry you." Elsa said, angrily.

"If you wanted to spit on me and slap me, why make me think you were going to kiss me?" Hans asked, confused.

"To catch you off guard." Elsa answered. "It's obvious what my answer is, now get out!"

Hans got off from the ground, and started to walk to the door out. He was rubbing his cheek the entire time, recovering from him slap. He underestimated how hard Elsa could hit. He had a feeling in his gut that his attempts to have her agree to his deal would fail. Now, he had to stick with his original plan.

He was going to enjoy his revenge much more now.

Hans opened the door out, and took a step. He stopped and looked back at Elsa in the door way.

"You and everyone you care for and love will die without this deal." Hans said.

Elsa looked down at the floor. She suspected that Hans might've been right about that. Their deaths would be her fault because she was too proud of herself and everything she stood for. But, she couldn't bear the fact that she would be handing Hans power if she did marry him.

Elsa didn't say a word to Hans when he slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Entering Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna brought Anna fond memories. They weren't necessarily the best memories, but they were fond to her because this was where she first met her husband, Kristoff. Even though the two weren't necessarily head over heels about each other when they first met, the events that started from Oaken' between the two built up to their falling in love.

Anna decided that she shouldn't mention Kristoff in from of Oaken, much less mention she was married to him, since Oaken and Kristoff weren't the best of friends the last time they saw each other. Anna wondered whether if the two made amends, and if Kristoff apologized to Oaken since Kristoff must've passed by the store on his many journeys to mine ice ever since Kristoff started living with her. Elsa was being nice to Kristoff and she didn't make artificial ice so that Kristoff would still have a job.

Rapunzel was the first one to enter the store. When they opened the door, they could feel the warmth coming from inside. Rapunzel felt better already. Anna followed Rapunzel in and closed the door behind them.

Anna scanned the room to see if anything had changed since her last visit. Everything seemed to be in place if she remembered correctly. There was still a long shelf in the middle of the room filled with items such as pots, pans, and books. Larger items were placed on the walls around the room. A door was at the far left corner of the room, meaning the sauna was still there. Anna looked over at the main desk to see a large, smiling man with a blonde mustache sit there with his fingers pressed together.

The two needed some food, Rapunzel especially needed the most. They've already eaten all of their carrots, and that was a while ago.

"Hoo-hoo!" They heard the man say. "Big winter snow out?"

The girls looked over at the smiling store owner, Oaken.

"I've got everything you need for a winter in our winter department." Oaken said.

Rapunzel looked over at the winter department to find a single folded winter dress on a chair and walked over to retrieve it. Anna walked over to Oaken's front desk instead of following Rapunzel.

"Hi!" Anna said. "Do you remember me?" She was curious.

"Ah, yes. You where that crazy girl who showed up to my store a year and many months ago, ya." Oaken answered.

Anna nodded. She was surprised by how good his memory was. But, when she looked around, she found that many of the items in his store were dusty. She assumed not many people went to Oaken's very often. Oaken remembered Anna so well because she was one of his only customers.

"Uh... My friend over there is hurt, and she needs medicine. Anything to help heal her wound to be exact." Anna told Oaken.

"I've got something of my own invention to help." Oaken said, taking out a bottle from under the table. He then handed her the medicine, along with some bandages.

Anna thanked Oaken and walked over to Rapunzel who was looking at the dress she just unfolded. Anna tapped Rapunzel's unwounded shoulder to get her attention. Anna held the bottle of medicine, whatever it did, and the bandages up.

"Sit down." Anna told Rapunzel.

Rapunzel did as her friend asked, and Anna knelt down next to her hurt shoulder.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Rapunzel asked Anna.

"Of course." Anna lied.

She removed the cloth that was covering Rapunzel's shoulder, and it was soaked in blood. Anna then opened up the bottle and poured some of the liquid over Rapunzel's shoulder. Rapunzel winced upon contact with the liquid. Her shoulder stung like crazy, but she bit her tongue and handled the pain.

Rapunzel didn't need medical attention like this before. She never had a bad cut like the one the wolf gave her. The only cut she'd ever gotten was a paper cut from reading a book, and she considered that severe. She wasn't used to being hurt, and being hurt was common when it came to an adventure or journey.

Anna wrapped the bandage around the wounded area and then stopped. Only a small area of her shoulder was hurt, unlike Kai. Kai's injury was severe. All of his shoulder, down to to part of his biceps were hurt. Rapunzel's injury was a paper cut compared to Kai's.

"You have money to pay for this stuff, right?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna reached into her satchel and pulled out some paper money and a few coins. Anna brought money with her just in case she needed to buy something from a merchant on her journey. She made a mistake last time not bringing anything with her, and she had to sell a few beloved items. Now, she had come prepared.

Anna stood up and walked over to Oaken's desk to pay for the dress and medicine. Rapunzel walked over to a small changing room next to the sauna to put on her new winter dress. After Anna handed over Oaken some money, Rapunzel walked out with a new, pinkish purplish winter dress, similar to the one Anna was wearing. She then walked over next to Anna.

Next on the list, Anna thought to herself.

"Do you have any food that we could eat?" Anna asked Oaken.

"Oh, ya!" Oaken exclaimed. From under his desk, he pulled out a jar filled with fish heads, with bones coming out the back of them, all of it in some greenish liquid. "I have lutefisk!" Oaken said.

The very sight of the jar of fish made the girls almost throw up. They wondered why anyone would ever eat such a thing, but if Oaken was offering it, he must've enjoyed it himself.

"Uh..." Anna swallowed the barf in her mouth "Is there anything else you have?"

"Not that I know of." Oaken answered.

Oaken put the jar on the table and pushed it closer to the girls. Rapunzel took a step back, away from the fishes. Anna picked it up and studied it. She swore that one of the fishes blinked, and put the jar on table immediately afterword.

The girls' stomach growled. They were desperate for food, no matter what it was. Weee they truly desperate enough to eat the lutefisk? Beggars can't be choosers. Rapunzel stepped forward, next to Anna and also studied the lutefisk. Both of them were ready to do what they needed to if they were truly hungry.

Anna picked it up and opened the jar. The stench of the fish poisoned the air around them. Some of the flies that were around the room fell dead. The girls' faces got green. Oaken was smiling the entire time, not minding the smell. He clapped his hands together.

"Smells good enough to eat!" Oaken exclaimed.

Anna stuck her hand in the jar and grabbed the head of one of the fishes. It was slimy, gross, and hard to get a grip on, but Anna pushed her fingers around the fish head to make sure she could pick it up. When Anna took the fish out of the jar, she handed the jar to Rapunzel. Rapunzel reluctantly took the jar and did the same thing as Anna, and took the fish out of it, trying not to throw up.

Rapunzel put the jar back on the table, which now had a single fish left in it. The girls used their other hand to grab the bony part of the fish. They couldn't believe what they had to resort to in order to fulfill their stomachs.

"Cheers." Rapunzel said. Anna nodded.

The girls raised their fish a over their heads and tilted their head upward so the fish was hanging over their mouths. At the same time, the girls slowly lowered the fish head down into their open mouths, and when it went inside, they bit the head away from the bones. They expected it to taste bad, but it was much worse than they had thought. The taste was like a cold, wet monkey's doo-doo in your mouth. They so badly wanted to spit it out but they didn't want to offend Oaken. He did make the fish himself after all.

The girls reluctantly chewed their fish until it was nothing but slimy mush in their mouths. They swallowed it at the same time, and then smiled at Oaken, giving him a look that made it look like they enjoyed the fish. Rapunzel threw up in her mouth, but swallowed it back. Her throw up tasted better than the fish.

"It's good, ya?" Oaken asked.

The girls lied, and nodded.

"Anyone want the last one?" Oaken asked, pulling the final fish out of the jar.

The girls both said no many times, waved their arms in a motion that said "Keep it away from me!" and stepped back.

"I've lost my appetite." Rapunzel said.

"Me too." Anna agreed.

That was true. After eating the fish, they didn't think they wanted to eat anything else anymore. It was enough to keep their stomachs fulfilled for a while. The fish seemed to be enough for them to lower the expectation on Oaken's food.

"Suit yourself." Oaken said. He tossed the fish in his mouth and swallowed. He then took the jar and drank all of the green liquid in side of it. When he finished, he breathed out, satisfied with his snack. Oaken's breath tasted like death, which meant the girls' breath probably did to.

"Oh, I forgot. I _did _have other food." Oaken said, smiling.

"What!?" Said the girls at the same time.

"I have chicken." Oaken pulled a chicken wing from under his desk. "I also have carrots." He then pulled out a carrot. For every food he mentioned, he pulled it out to show the girls; soup, chocolate, fruits, etc. Everything he pulled out gave the girls disappointment. They couldn't eat anything after the fish, and now he was pulling out all of these treats.

"I don't know why I didn't see them earlier." Oaken said.

The girls were livid inside. Their anger made their faces red with rage. They were forced to eat a meal fit for a pig when he could've given them food that they were fond of. Rapunzel wanted to punch Oaken in the face, but she knew that would get them nowhere.

Anna didn't know what was worse. The fact that she had to eat a bad snack, or the fact that she had to pay for it. She reluctantly handed over some money to the happy Oaken.

Anna remembered that they had a quest ahead of them. She figured maybe Oaken could've helped them out.

"Uh, may I ask you a question?" Anna asked Oaken.

"What is it, dear?" Oaken asked.

"Have you seen a large group of people around lately. Perhaps a bunch of noblemen... with some thugs?" Anna asked.

"No one has been around for a while. The only one's crazy enough to be out in this weather are you dears." Oaken answered.

As he said that, the door to the store opened. From the outside walked in two burly, buff men. The clothes they were weren't exactly fit for winter, and they didn't look expensive either. One wore many scarves and rags around his neck while the other wore a large beanie like hat that almost covered his eyes. Snow was all over their bodies.

Neither Anna or Rapunzel could recognize the men.

"You and these fellows." Oaken continued. "Hoo-hoo! Big winter snow out?"

* * *

Author's Note: Chronologically, the two events in this chapter, the one with Elsa and Hans and the one with Oaken, take place at the same time. I just wanted to make that clear. Also, Frozen II: Phoenix Fire had more favorites and followers than this story currently does. I consider the writing for this one ten times better than Phoenix Fire. Where did all of the fans go? So, I would appreciate it if you, the reader, could tell some people about this story. Thanks a lot! Ciao.


	20. Scarves And Hats

**Chapter XX: Scarves And Hats**

* * *

The rugged men didn't seem very friendly at all. Their clothes and demeanor told people to refrain from giving hospitality to them. They were both also quite large in size; larger and buffer than Kristoff even. Though both were fairly smaller than Oaken, they looked more intimidating. The first impressions Anna and Rapunzel had on these two newcomers was a negative one. The girls assumed that the men wouldn't make great friends.

"We've got company." Rapunzel said, as if that wasn't obvious.

One of the men, the one with the beanie like hat, had a sword strapped to his waist. The sword didn't look very elegant like Kai's was. This sword was had more dents in it, and it wasn't perfectly straight nor was it perfectly curved. The blade was more grayish than silver, and brown stains were on it. Anna hoped that the stains on the sword were not what she thought they were. The other man, the one with the scarves covering his neck and mouth, had an axe strapped to his back. The axe was a one handed weapon, large but small enough so only one hand was required. The blade looked similar to the sword's, only with more brown stains. The wooden handle of the axe was a large stick anything but straight.

These men looked like they had seen battle, and that was exactly what the girls were afraid of. Oaken seemed thrilled to see new faces, but Anna and Rapunzel were exactly the opposite. They didn't want to hang around much longer.

The two men looked over at Anna and Rapunzel and gave them a dirty look. Anna looked away from them before they made eye contact, looked at the ceiling, and started to whistle. Rapunzel was pretending to study her nails to avoid the gaze of the men. The man with the hat leaned closer to the scarved man' sear and whispered something. The scarved man nodded, acknowledging whatever his partner said while still looking at the girls.

Oaken was still studying his new potential customers, wondering if they truly were there to buy from him. As long as they had some money with them, Oaken didn't care what they bought.

The man with the hat walked over to the wall on the right side of the door, where many large products were located. Their diversity ranged. He then turned his head to scan the room, and was unsatisfied when he analyzed it thoroughly. He looked back at his partner, the man with the scarves, and shook his head. The scarfed man gave his partner a disappointed look and walked towards Oaken.

As the man approached the desk, Anna and Rapunzel slowly and silently stepped away from Oaken. They then made their way to the winter department and pretending to be studying the little objects in it. Anna's head was turned so that she was able to see what the scarfed man and Oaken were doing. The man with the hat was near the shelves, making a ruckus where he was.

Rapunzel got closer to Anna. "I don't like this." Rapunzel whispered.

"Something's going on here." Anna said. "We need to find out what."

"Don't you think it's a better idea to just leave now?" Rapunzel asked. She didn't want any trouble with these men, and trouble was inevitable wherever the girls went.

"Not a chance." Anna said. "These guys mean trouble, and I want to find out why."

Rapunzel sighed in disappointment, knowing that Anna had made up her mind. "Fine." She said. "I'll go see what Hats is doing over there while you go check out whats up with Scarves and Oaken."

The girls were careful to keep their voices low so that no one else could hear what they were saying. Anna nodded to Rapunzel's plan. The two girls broke off. Rapunzel walked over to the wall the hatted man, Hats as Rapunzel called him, was looking through. She pretended to be looking at the items on it, but her eyes were turned to Hats. She saw he was looking through the items on the shelves, and moved any object that got in the way of his line of sight and another object.

The man looked over at Rapunzel to see what she was doing, but Rapunzel quickly turned her head back at the wall, whistling a tune. She couldn't look like she was doing something suspicious in front of the man.

The man shrugged off his suspicions and looked back at the shelves. He continued making noises by scavenging through the items. He was looking for something, Rapunzel knew that for sure. She didn't know what he was looking for or if he would even be able to find it, but he was desperately searching for it.

Rapunzel was able to hear the scarfed man, Scarves, and Oaken speak to each other from where she was standing. It seemed that the job she gave Anna wasn't a job she couldn't do on her own.

"Hoo-hoo!" Oaken exclaimed. "If you are looking for some winter fun, I have small sleds and winter clothes in our winter department." Oaken pointed towards the winter department which had almost nothing but some snow shoes. "We are out of stock for items I have just mentioned." Oaken told the man.

"I don't care about some winter supplies." Scarves said, angrily. "I want weapons. Swords, axes, flintlocks, anything you can get me."

Neither Anna nor Rapunzel were surprised that these guys wanted, out of all things, weapons. They looked like the type to choose a sword over a frying pan. Anna wonder why they would think Oaken sells weapons here, looking at all the other non-weapon-related items he sold.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any weapons to sell." Oaken said. "But, may I interest you in some lutefisk?" Oaken took another jar of dead fish from under his desk and shook it.

Scarves pounded the desk with his right fist, and Oaken put his jar down immediately. "I'm not playing!" Scarves yelled.

"Me neither." Oaken said, merrily. "If weapons is what you wish for, please take your business to another store."

Scarves stepped away from the table angrily. He looked over at Hats and saw that Hats was just as disappointed as he was. He assumed that Hats was not able to find any weapons. The closest thing he could find to a weapon was a frying pan, which was completely underrated if you asked Rapunzel. It was obvious that they weren't going to get anything from Oaken as he had nothing they wanted.

Then, Scarves noticed Rapunzel standing near Hats, pretending to not notice,anything outside of her thoughts. He motioned his head towards her, and Hats looked over at her. Scarves then walked to the winter department and stood near Anna. Anna tried to ignore his presence, but he was close enough to imply he wanted a word with Anna.

"At least there's a silver lining." Scarves whispered to himself.

Anna felt uncomfortable around Scarves. His presence gave off such a bad connotation, and his attitude with Oaken told Anna that he wouldn't make a great friend. Now since he was close enough, Anna saw that he had menacing eyes with some cuts on his face. It was clear that he had seen some action.

"Can I help you?" Anna asked, half-heartedly to Scarves.

"Are you carrying any weapons on you, miss?" Scarves asked, quickly.

Anna shook her head and looked away, hoping for Scarves to just move on. But, Anna refocused her attention back on Scarves after he didn't walk away. It was obvious that he wasn't done talking to Anna.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here in a place like this?" Scarves asked.

Anna paused. She didn't know how to answer the question. She didn't trust Scarves, nor did she want to tell him the truth, but she wasn't one to lie. Whenever she did, she always felt horrible right after even if it was a small lie. That was why she barely lied. The guilt was always such a burden on her. She was still suffering from the guilt of betraying her husband's and sister's trust.

Luckily, Anna wasn't alone. Rapunzel was there to help her. Rapunzel walked away from Hats and stood right next to Anna. She was able to overhear the questions Scarves was asking Anna. Knowing Anna, she knew that Anna needed the support. She held Anna's hand and gave her look saying "You can do this." Rapunzel, like Anna, wasn't one to lie which is why she's rather Anna do it with her playing along.

"I'm Adele." Anna said. "And this is my sister..." Anna didn't know what to call Rapunzel.

"Dazeem." Rapunzel answered for her.

"Right." Anna said. "See, we're sisters, and we're trying to get home. We stopped by to get some food."

Anna hoped that Scarves would buy it. Hats walked up next to his partner while Anna was telling her fake story. Anna wondered if Scarves and Hats knew who she was, prior to her telling the story to them. Anna made many public appearances in Arendelle, and she have met many people. Anna doubted that they would recognize her since they didn't look the type to go to one of her parties. She knew for a fact that they wouldn't recognize Rapunzel since this would be the first time she stepped out of her country, assuming the men have never been to Corona.

"Is that so?" Hats asked.

The girls quickly nodded their heads, intimidated by the men.

"Where's your other sister?" Scarves asked Anna.

"I'm sorry." Anna said. "Dazeem is my only sister."

"Oh, I don't think so." Scarves said. "Where's your sister, Elsa, Adele? Or should I say... Anna."

Busted. Anna's fear was true. The men knew her true identity. The men took a step closer to the girls, pushing them to the wall. Their intent was not noble.

"The other's will be happy with who we bring back." Hats said.

Scarves reached his hand out towards Anna, but before he could touch her, Ralunzel quickly took out her frying pan and swung it in front of her, slightly above her. It hit both Scarves and Hats in the face, knocking them to the ground. Rapunzel grabbed Anna's hand and started to run. Rapunzel was able to pass Hats' body, but before Anna could get a safe distance Anna, Hats grabbed Anna's ankle, forcing her to fall to the floor on the left side of the long shelf from where they were.

Hats had a great grip on Anna. She tried kicking his head to make him let her go, but it was no use. Scarves had gotten up at that point, and was ready to help Hats deal with Anna. When Anna looked ahead of her to the exit, Rapunzel was nowhere to be found. She assumed Rapunzel was in too much of a rush that she ran out without her and didn't notice her fall.

When Anna looked back at her adversaries, she found Rapunzel standing behind Scarves. She must've ran around the entire room to get behind Scarves. Even though Anna was struggling to get away from Hats' grasp, she smiled at Rapunzel who raised her frying pan above Scarves' head.

Rapunzel swung down, hoping to get the effect that usually came from her frying pan. Unfortunately, Hats was stronger than most of the people Rapunzel used her frying pan against. He stopped focusing on Anna and turned around, facing Rapunzel, not showing a single reaction from the frying pan. Rapunzel smiled at the man as if she didn't hit him. She grabbed a snowshoe from the winter department wall and offered it to him as an apology.

Scarves smacked the snowshoe away from Raounzel and grabbed her frying pan. He then threw it on the ground next to them. Scarves grabbed Rapunzel's wrists and pushed her up against the wall behind her. She tried her best to escape from his grasp, but his hold was too strong. She strugglee but to no avail.

"I don't know who you are." Scarves said. "But bringing you in woth Princess Anna will be a bonus."

Rapunzel was able to smell his horrid breath. She moved her head away, concerned with not smelling the death gas that came out of his mouth. Even though it was covered, it was strong enough to be smelt.

"In your dreams." Rapunzel said, bravely. Her legs were still free to move. She raised her knee up quickly upon the man's genital area, hitting it's target. The man squeaked in pain and let Rapunzel go. He fell to the ground with his hands over his crotch, hoping there be no damage to it.

Rapunzel looked over at Anna who was still kicking at Hats' head. Rapunzel ran over to her friends aid. She stood over Hats with her frying pan next to her head and swung down upon the top of Hats' head. Luckily, Hats was not as tough as Scarves was. He let go of Anna's ankle and grabbed the too his his head which stung from the frying pan.

Rapunzel held her hand out in front of Anna, offering her help. Anna took Rapunzel's hand and Rapunzel lifted her up.

"I have got to get me one of those." Anna said.

Rapunzel smiled and started to swing her frying pan. "We should get out of here." Rapunzel suggested.

Anna nodded, and together they ran for the exit. Before they reached the door out, Scarves got in their way. He blocked the doorway with his huge body. Rapunzel gulped as he took his axe out from his back.

"I only need to bring back Anna." Scarves said, looking at Rapunzel. "You on the other hand..." Scarves swung his axe as if chopping Rapunzel's head from her neck, but Rapunzel reacted quickly. Anna sidestepped the axe so it wouldn't touch her, and Raounzel ducked, making the axe swing over her head. The axe got stuck on the wooden corner of the long shelf, shaking it greatly and making some objects fall off.

Scarves struggled greatly to try to get the axe unattached to the shelf. While he struggled, Rapunzel swung her frying pan at Scarves' face, but yet again, he took it with no reaction. It was as if his head was steel.

The girls knew that they had to get away from Scarves immediately, and they had to lure him away from the door. They turned behind, prepared to run, only to find that Hats had gotten up with his sword in hand. He was getting closer slowly. They turned back towards Scarves to check his progress. When they heard the sound of wood snapping, they assumed he was able to free his axe. By the way he was pulling it out, when he freed it, he unintentionally swung it to the right.

Anna and Rapunzel were lucky enough to dodge that attack as well by ducking from the axe. The axe then got stuck on the wall to the right of Scarves, and once again, he had to pull it out.

Anna decided it best to run away immediately. She ran to the left side of the long shelf, on the opposite side Hats was on. She looked back at Rapunzel, perplexed as to why she didn't make a move. Anna motioned for Rapunzel to come over to her, but Rapunzel just shook her head, denying the offer. Rapunzel looked over at Hats who was nearing her. He was taking large steps with his legs spread apart. That was Rapunzel's opening.

Rapunzel ran towards Hats on the right side of the shelves. Hats prepared his sword to strike. Just as that was happening, Scarves was quickly able to take his sword away from the wooden wall it was stuck on. He saw Rapunzel running towards Hats, and knowing she wasn't needed, Scarves threw his axe at her. Hats swung his sword at about the same time the axe was thrown.

Rapunzel knew hoe the men were going to attack her. She was counting on it. When the sword was swung at her, she dropped to the ground and slid under Hats' legs, dodging the sword attack. Scarves' axe flew past Hats' head and hit the wall in front of Rapunzel.

"Wow..." Anna whispered, amazed.

"You almost killed me!" Hats yelled at Scarves. He then threw his sword at Scarves, and it flew past Scarves' head. The blade then stuck to the door behind Scarves. Scarves then took a step forward and gave an evil look to Hats.

"_You _almost killed _me!" _Scarves yelled at Hats. Scarves ran at Hats with his fist raised in the air, ready to bring the hurt upon his partner. Scarves swung his fist down upon Hats' left cheek, and Hats' head moved toward the direction the fist was going. Hats looked back up at his partner in rage. He grabbed Scarves shoulders with both of his hands and threw him on the wall next to them. Many items that were hanging on it fell to the ground, making loud noises.

Anna knew that their struggle would be their downfall. She pointed Rapunzel toward the direction of the exit, and Rapunzel nodded. Both of them were well over ready to get out of Oaken's shop.

"Don't fight me, you idiot!" Scarves said. "Focus on them!"

Hats turned his head to look at Anna and Rapunzel who were just about to tiptoe away from the winter department and to the door out. Hats put his partner down and walked toward Anna and Rapunzel. They backed up as he got closer to them. When he reached Scarves' axe, he took it out of the wall and held it in his hand as he approached the girls.

Anna and Rapunzel hit a wall as they were walking back, and found that they were cornered in the left corner of the winter department. Scarves, although with no weapon, joined his partner cornering the girls. Hats gave an evil smile to the girls, and Scarves gave one too even though it wasn't visible. Scarves then cracked his knuckles, ready to take them.

Anna gulped. "It's been nice knowing you, Rapunzel."

"Same here." Rapunzel said.

Then, before the men were able to do anything to the girls, a large figure appeared behind them. Anna and Rapunzel were now focusing on what was behind the men. Hats and Scarves were then picked up off of their feet which were now dangling above the ground. They were just as confused as the girls were as to what was happening.

Hats was so caught off guard that he dropped Scarves' axe on the floor. They looked behind them to see why they were floating and found Oaken holding both of them up by the collar of their clothes. Oaken banged their heads together, making imaginary birds fly around both of their heads.

"I'm going to have to throw you guys out for making a mess in my store." Oaken told the men. Oaken then turned around, still holding the men. Oaken was much taller than the men, and much bigger in every way. It was no surprise that he was stronger as well. He carried them to the door as they struggled to get out of his grasp. They did all they could to get away from Oaken, but his grip was simply just too strong.

Oaken kicked his door open, and the wind blew into the building. He then tossed Hats out first, who landed roughly into the snow. Then, Oaken tossed Scarves who hit Hats when he landed on the ground. Scarves was the first to get up, and the Hats followed.

"Bye bye!" Oaken said happily to the two.

Oaken then walked back inside while Anna and Rapunzel passed him while walking outside. The girls were able to see the men start running away from the building into a path that led into the forest. They left prints in the snow as they ran away. Scarves looked back at the building once more before he entered the forest.

Anna and Rapunzel watched as their adversaries ran away from them.

"What are we going to do now?" Rapunzel asked Anna.

"We should follow them." Anna answered.

"Are you crazy?" Rapunzel asked. "They almost killed use and I'm sure they'll do it again."

"Look." Anna said. "They talked about capturing me and bringing me back to people. How much do you bet they're with Cade and Lilith?"

"That's a probability." Rapunzel agreed.

"Also, where could they be running to?" Anna asked. "They're going to their base, and they'll lead us right to Cade and Lilith, hopefully."

Rapunzel nodded. It seems as though that was their only option at this moment. They had nowhere else to go, and the route the men were running down was new to them. The girls would find these men useful after all.

Anna was the first to run after the men since she the one that was so sure the plan would work. Rapunzel was skeptic as first, believing that they were running towards a trap, but she trusted Anna's judgement. Scratch that. She didn't after remembering what Anna did when she first met Hans. But, she couldn't just let Anna run into the forest alone without some form of protection.

Rapunzel followed Anna running. The two entered the clear path that led into the forest. The girls sprinted as fast as they could possibly go, hoping to catch up with the men. They ran side by side. At first, they were just following the fresh footprints of the running men, but then, they was able to spot both running men ahead of her.

Unfortunately, Scarves and Hats were able to see both girls running behind them. It was obvious that they had no more interest in kidnapping Anna as they just gave up and ran earlier. Now, the girls were really getting on their nerves. The men were without weapons, and Rapunzel had her infamous frying pan in her hand. They just kept running, but something clicked in Hats' head.

From a pouch he carried, he took out a brown ball and pulled a small piece away from it. He then shook the ball as a fizzing noise happened inside of it. He then threw the ball behind him, at both Anna and Rapunzel. Rapunzel didn't exactly know what the ball was, nor what was in it. She just looked at it fly at her as they ran.

Fortunately, Anna knew exactly what it was. Anna grabbed Rapunzel, and then jumped to the right, avoiding the ball but falling on the ground. When the brown ball landed on the ground a few feet behind them, it exploded. The noise deafened both girls for a few seconds. They found themselves covered in snow thanks to the ball. Anna remembered well what it was. It was an explosive that the Bandit Organization often used. She knew they were custom made as well exclusively for the Bandits, so she asked herself why exactly Hats would have it? Could it be... No. Anna shrugged the thought off of her mind. Now was not the time to worry about that.

Anna focused on recovering from the blast instead of having bad memories. She help Rapunzel up who looked even more shocked than she was. Anna then stood up herself.

"What was that?" Rapunzel asked.

"An explosive. A small bomb." Anna answered.

"That was close." Rapunzel said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily play catch with them." Anna responded.

They looked ahead to find the men had gone. The bomb was a good enough distraction for them to get out of the girls' line of sight. Both girls thought that there was no way the guards could've gotten away running straight in time. It just didn't make sense. Luckily for them, the footprints were still there.

They continued to follow the footprints of Scarves and Hats. The prints didn't go straight forward for long. They showed that the men had turned and ran into the forest, off the path. Rapunzel gave Anna an unsure look, and Anna acknowledged it. This looked a little fishy for her too. But, they had no other choice but to walk into the forest.

They followed the tracks that led through the trees. The prints weren't together, but they both led to the same direction. After walking for a bit, the girls found that it led to a small, empty, flat area covered with snow but with no trees. It was about fifty meters long, and fifty meters wide in a perfect circle. They found that the tracks didn't go into the circle at all, but to the side of it.

"That's weird." Anna said.

"Do the tracks end here?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna looked at the ground to find that the tracks did not end yet. She continued to follow the tracks while Rapunzel walked deeper into the clearing. Anna followed the tracks on the side to a clearing and found that they ended in front of a tree. That was it. No more tracks in front of Anna. Only a large tree stood in her way.

Where did they go, Anna asked herself in her mind.

Rapunzel was just as confused as Anna was, but it was for something else. As she walked towards the middle of the clearing, she noticed that her footsteps sounded different. She then heard a creaking sound whenever she stepped, as if she was walking over a layer of wood. Something was definitely odd about the ground beneath her.

Then, the floor beneath Rapunzel started to shake.

"Anna!" Rapunzel called.

Anna turned over to Rapunzel to find her standing in the middle of shaking snow. A creaking noise went on infinitely. Anna ran to Rapunzel's aid, hoping to help her get out of their current predicament. Then, when Anna finally reached Rapunzel's position, the ground beneath them tilted down. The piece of floor they were on tilted like a slide that continued into the darkness beneath the ground that was not tilting.

They tried to hold their footing as the snow around them slid down into the darkness. They then found, when the snow was gone, that they had been on a wooden floor. It was a trapdoor that led to who knew where. They thought they were safe from sliding down, but the wooden floor then continued to tilt, getting closer to a ninety degree angle. Soon, neither of the girls were able to hold on to the ground.

They both slid down the wooden trapdoor, and slid beneath the part of the ground which was not a trapdoor. It seemed to have been hollowed out since the trapdoor led under it.

"What is this?!" Rapunzel said.

Before Anna could answer, both girls slid down into complete darkness.

* * *

Author's Note: I haven't had a good cliffhanger ending in a while, so there you are. I've received little feedback on the past chapter or two, and I really want to know how the story is so far. Also, I'll be talking about future projects when we near the end to the story. Ciao.


	21. Into A Cage

**Chapter XXI: Into A Cage **

* * *

The girls slid down, below the actual ground. They descended into complete darkness, not being able to see anything. The only sounds they were able to hear was the sound of their bodies, sliding down on a hard, angled surface and the sounds of their own screaming. They were confused to what was going on. All they knew was that they were sliding in darkness, down into the unknown where they expected strange dangers to find them there.

Anna was able to keep a calm mind when she was sliding down. She was able to feel the surface they were sliding on, and if she was not mistaken, it felt like wood. Why would a wooden slide be underground, Anna thought to herself. The slide they were going down was completely artificial, and Anna knew that for sure. The question she should've been asking herself was who made this? It obviously didn't belong with nature. Was Scarves and Hats responsible for this? If not, who could be?

The slide they were going down was quite large; large enough so that both girls were able to slide down side by side. They were able to feel each other's presence as they went down in darkness. That made them feel slightly better, knowing that they wouldn't have to go through this alone. They found comfort in each other's presence, despite the fact that they were both screaming at the top of their lungs.

The girls could feel the sides of the slide. The sides of the slide were curved upward to keep things from falling off of the slide. Anna realized that they would not meet their demise from the slide since the makers of it made a safety feature like that.

Anna was thinking about what awaited them at the end of the slide, assuming that there was an end of course. Rapunzel kept thinking "We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

After sliding down straight for a few seconds, they finally felt their first turn. The slide turned to the left, and the girls knew that because they felt their bodies go down a sharp turn. A turn was not surprising at all since they highly doubted that that much of the ground was hollow in order for the slide to continue going straight.

Rapunzel would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying herself. Despite the fact she was screaming, she was actually having some fun. She had barely experienced going down slides like this, and she wanted to try so many knew things. The adrenaline that came with coming down the slide filled Rapunzel with joy. Since it was dark, Anna wasn't able to see Rapunzel's arms up in the air. Rapunzel didn't want the slide to end, but that was something she knew wouldn't come true.

Anna would think Rapunzel crazy if she found out her friend was enjoying herself during such a predicament. She wouldn't know how long the slide would last, and she didn't know what awaited them. That made Anna worried while Rapunzel wasn't keeping the negative things in mind.

The slide then did strange things. They took different turns, sharp turns as well, curves and small hills. They copuld've swore that they also went through a loop as well, though they didn't see how it would be possible, it sure felt like it. Rapunzel enjoyed the slide of doom better and better as it went on. Anna's screaming got more intense.

Then, the girls slid off a little ramp and dropped onto another slide, hurting their rears when they landed. This time, the slide went straight forward, angled down. The slide was now getting smaller, forcing Rapunzel behind Anna. Now, the girls couldn't slide down side by side.

Ahead of them was a small light. Anna tried her best to focus on the light at the speed they were sliding down. The light got bigger and bigger as they neared it. Anna then realized that the light wasn't getting bigger, but they were just getting closer to it. Soon, Anna was close enough to see that the light was just a hole, with light coming from the other side of the hole. The closer they got, the easier it was for them to see that the slide continued beyond the hole. Things became more visible as they neared the hole.

The wood they were sliding down became more visible. The girls were able to see the nails in the wood. Soon, they found themselves sliding through the hole and into a large, hollowed area underground. To their right was nothing but a large wall of stone that was anything but smooth. When they looked to their left, they found that the slide they were going down was at a high level of elevation compared to everything elsa around them.

The girls were sliding down in a ginormous cave. Big would be an understatement. It was easily two and a half times larger than Arendelle Castle. Below them, they saw many small tents set up. Though there were many tents set up, they were all fairly spaced out, making things look less complex and more organized. There were fires set up all around and that explained the light. In the center of the cave was a large bonfire pit, or a makeshift hearth. Men and some women were scattered all over the cave participating in different activities. Many of them looked up at the slide and at the girls.

Anna found that the slide she was going down went around the entire cave on the edge. She wondered how in the world could this small "community" be built underground. It would seem impossible if someone proposed the idea to Anna or Rapunzel. Somehow, these people managed.

They were sliding down on the far left side of the cave. They were able to see a large turn on the wall ahead if them, and the slide would end in the left side.

As they slid down, things became more clear to them below. All of the tents served a purpose. One particular tent had racks of weapons including swords, spears, and axes outside of it, and the inside of the tent mirrored the outside. It was some sort of armory. Another tent had tables set up on the outside of it, and scraps of food were left on them. It was a kitchen or dining area. Each tent served a different purpose such as a sleeping place, training ground, and other things. Anna and Rapunzel could see how people were able to survive down here. They had everything they needed.

Anna and Rapunzel found themselves nearing the ground as the slide was coming to an end. Their screaming ended earlier when they went through the hole. It was replaced by awe. They weren't looking forward to meeting the ground. Everyone wore clothes similar to that of Scarves and Hats. It would also be a bad thing if they acted the same way as Scarves and Hats did.

The end of the slide got closer and closer. They girls were able to see that a small greeting party was awaiting them. About ten armed men stood at the end of the slide, which looked like a normal end to a slide by the way, awaiting for the arrival of the girls. This didn't look good from their perspective. As they got closer to the ground, the men quickly dragged in a large cage on wheels and put it at the end of the slide, where the girls were going to go. They opened the door to the cage so that the girls could slide into it.

This wasn't the welcoming party Rapunzel was expecting. She hoped people would be a little more stoked about their arrival. Anna, on the other hand, expected as much from these strangers. The girls slid into the cage when the slide ended, Anna was the first. When Rapunzel slid into the cage, she bumped into Anna, who was less than thrilled with that.

After Rapunzel got in the cage, the men quickly dragged it away from the slide and closed the door. It was big enough to contain both girls, and give them some room to stretch. Some one put a lock on the door, meaning Anna and Rapunzel were trapped.

"Let us go!" Anna said, shaking the cage.

None of the men answered. They started to drag the cage away from the slide, bringing the girls with them. Anna was able to see that there was a long ladder about one hundred meters directly in front of the slide which led up high. She looked up to see where it went, and she saw that it led through a hole and continued. She assumed that that was the exit to the place.

Anna and Rapunzel were shaking the cage as it was moving, making it harder for it to be pulled and pushed, but it didn't seem to bother the men too much. The cage was in a square shape and one man was on each side of it, moving the cage in a particular direction. The other men surround the cage with their weapons drawn.

As they were being dragged along, the girls studied the things around them. They looked at the tents set up and the activities done in them. They noticed how the people were treating one another. Most of them seemed just as fit as Scarves and Hats was, even looking similar, wearing similar clothing. The women wore similar clothing, but the figures of their bodies ranged. Most of the people looked menacing, and they looked like they wouldn't hesitate to cut the girls' throats out.

Many of the people were focusing on the girls as well. Most of the women gave the girls some dirty looks while others just ignored them though they were aware of their presence. Some of the men gave the girls menacing looks while pointing a weapon towards them while others made kissing faces towards them. Something told Rapunzel that she didn't want to get involved with those men.

Anna and Rapunzel kept asking questions to the men around them, yet they were always left with no answer. The only thing they got close to an answer was a grunt.

The girls were able to see their destination; the center of the entire cavern Where the large fire was located. There was quite a large space empty around the fire, making a large circle in the center of the cave, and the girls' cage was put at the very edge of the circle.

When their cage was halted, they continued shaking the metal bars, but to no avail. One man took a chain and wrapped it around one of the wheels, and he then wrapped it around a large nail sticking out of the floor. They were now stuck with no hope of getting out.

The girls hated being kept prisoner. They've both experienced it at least once in their lives, and those weren't necessarily the happiest times they've had. They wanted answers and they expected for someone to provide it to them.

The men then crowded around in front of the cage, in between the cage and the large fire which was approximately one hundred meters away from the cage. They all just stood there, watching the girls with angry eyes.

"You can't do this to us!" Anna said.

"We want answers!" Rapunzel said.

"Answers which I will happily provide." said a voice coming from behind the group of men. The voice belonged to that of a man with a British accent.

The men then dispersed to the left and right, clearing the wall for another man. A rather young man, who looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties with very light brown hair and eyes that matched his hair, walked up to the cage through the opening his men had created. The newcomer wore clothes that differed from that of the other men, as they looked more fancier than the others, but not as fancy as to indicate any form of wealth. He had one sword strapped to his side and a crossbow to his back.

His face was cleanly shaved, with no beard or mustache. He was also rather handsome, in the menacing sort of way. He was about Elsa's height, taller than both girls yet shorter than Kai and Kristoff. His build was rather fit, not looking as buff or stocky as the other men the girls have seen but about the same as Kai's body build. He raised his hand up to about where his head was, and the men then all walked away, leaving the girls and the new man alone.

"Our two weapon collectors warned us that you might be coming." The man said.

"Who are you?" Anna asked.

"Ah, yes, I forgot. I am familiar with you yet you aren't familiar with me." The man said. He spoke so sophisticatedly, as if he weren't a thug like everyone else. "My name is Lance." He stuck his hand into the cage, hoping for a shake although the girls did not dare touch his hand. The smile he had on faded, and he took his hand away.

The girls didn't know whether or not to trust Lance. He seemed as though he was a thug just like everyone else, and they don'l like being friends with thugs.

"What is this place?" Rapunzel asked.

"You are currently in my base, or rather, home." Lance answered. "Not necessarily the most ideal place to have a home, but it works well for us."

"Let us go!" Anna said. "We didn't ask to be here, and it's illegal to capture someone like this in Arendelle, especially princesses."

"I can't just let you go. Besides, it was you who stumbled upon the little trap we set up." Lance countered.

"Why did you have that trap up there?" Rapunzel asked.

"To capture animals, and unsuspecting people like yourselves." Lance answered.

"What do you do with those unsuspecting people?" Anna asked with angry eyes.

"That depends on how much they're worth." Lance answered. "If our bosses don't want them, we get to decide what to do with them. Sometimes, we gut them like fishes." Lance unsheathed his sword and stuck it in the cage while the girls crawled back. "Sometimes, I give them to some of the men who dying to have fun with them. Sometimes, we make them work until they've outlived their usefulness."

None of these options seemed good to the girls.

"What are we worth?" Anna said.

"Don't worry about it, princess." Lance said. "The bosses will probably want you."

"Who are your bosses then?" Rapunzel asked.

Lance guessed he was able to share the information with the girls, seeing the things that they could do with it was very limited. But, he had feeling the girls, hopefully, already were familiar with his bosses.

"Take a guess." Lance said.

"Cade and Lilith." Anna answered.

Lance clapped his hands sarcastically. "Good detective work, Princess. Yes, that deadly couple tell me and everyone else here what to do."

"Speaking of that, who are you guys exactly." Rapunzel asked. "Hired help?"

"We are the loyal men and women of Cade and Lilith. We're the Bandits." Lance answered.

Anna's eyes widened, knowing now who they were. It all made sense to her now. The way they dressed. The way they fought. They mirrored the Bandits she encountered those many months ago. "I thought your organization was dead." Anna said. Rapunzel didn't know what Anna was talking about, but she figured this wasn't the time to ask questions.

"What you thought and what was are very different things." Lance elaborated. "Yes, King Lyre did previously instruct and ordered the complete decline and disbandment of the Guild, or the Bandits if you prefer. Many of us still resent him for that. He expected for us to just bugger off and continue our lives differently, but I tell you, that wasn't the case. We had just lost the only home we've known for many years. We all stayed together, even after the King's order, and Strife took charge as our leader."

Anna remembered Strife, or as Kai called him, Deren. Strife wasn't necessarily the nicest guy.

Lance continued his story. "We laid low for a while. We stayed in different underground bases, such as this one, after Lyre disbanded us, all located in Teranhall. Then, Cade and Lilith rose up within our ranks, and led us side by side with Strife. When we assumed Strife died, Cade and Lilith were the only leaders we had left."

"Why them?" Rapunzel asked. "You all easily could overthrow them."

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Lance asked. "Those two are the most deadly people I know currently. Their skills even surpassed Kai's, of course, that was after he abandoned us."

Rapunzel remembered how Anna told her about Kai's dark past. She believed he was justified in abandoning these people.

"They ordered us moved to Arendelle, where we all are." Lance said. "All of us."

That wasn't good for the girls.

"So, the men who helped Cade and Lilith kidnap those people were you guys?" Anna asked.

Lance nodded. "Not necessarily _my _men, but those were Bandits nonetheless."

"Wait, so there are other Bandits out there?" Rapunzel asked.

Lance smiled. "I believe I've said enough."

"So there are more caverns like this?" Anna asked.

"Not by a long shot. This place is special. The way it's hollowed out is completely natural. We were just lucky enough to find it and settle in it." Lance answered. "Impressive, is it not?"

"Impressive isn't the word I would use." Rapunzel said.

"Oh?" Lance asked.

"This is a place where thugs, murderers, liars, and other despicable people commune." Rapunzel said. "No matter how it looks, this is a place filled with dark deeds and people. In my book, that's not impressive."

Lance gave Rapunzel an angered look, something Anna was worried about. Then, Lance closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting go of the anger he had on Rapunzel. "We're all entitled to our own opinions." Lance said. "I don't believe I recognize you."

"That's because she's not from around here." Anna said.

"That can be said about a lot of people." Lance said. "What is your name?"

Raounzel wasn't ready to give away something that important to Lance, no matter how charming he was acting. She didn't trust him enough, and that was something no one could blame her with.

"Does it matter?" Rapunzel asked, rudely. "I'm still going to be stuck in this cage."

"Well, it matters for you. It'll tell me your worth." Lance countered.

"I thought you said your bosses already want me." Rapunzel argued.

"I said that about Princess Anna, not you." Lance said. "I ask again. What is your name?"

Rapunzel really didn't want to share anything else with Lance. She wondered if Lance ever even heard of her. She knew there would be a negative outcome either way as well. One option probably led to her becoming property of Cade and Lilith. The other option led to another, unknown fate. She really wanted Anna's guidance for this, but she realized that it wasn't Anna's decision. She couldn't let Anna choose her fate for her.

Then, it hit her. Anna's fate was already decided, and Rapunzel would be able to help her avoid it. They would be better of together, and together, they would find a way out of their predicament.

"My name is Rapunzel." She told Lance.

"Ah, I've heard of you. The Princess of Corona." Lance said. "Yes, Cade and Lilith would definitely want you."

"Sure, go ahead, give us to them." Anna said, bravely.

"You seem rather excited to see them." Lance said.

"Not remotely." She revealed. "But, the guards Elsa sent will save us for sure. They won't stand a chance."

"Do you know where those guards are now?" Lance asked.

"On their way to save the people you kidnapped." Anna answered.

"So you think..." Lance said.

Rapunzel knew that Lance knew something they didn't. He had information that would be vital for the girls, and they intended to find out.

"What do you mean by that?" Rapunzel asked.

"The coordinates Cade gave them were folly." Lance revealed. "Right now, they're all held captive at a base owned by Bandits."

Anna suspected as much. She couldn't believe that the guards were sent so blindly into danger. She blamed herself for not being too cautious, though she knew it wasn't her fault. She wasn't going to point a finger at Elsa either since she knew her sister did what she had to do.

"How do I know you're not lying to us?" Rapunzel asked.

"You don't." Lance answered. "But, why would I lie to you about something like that? It's not like the information is going to be useful to you at all."

Well, at least they've gained something during this entire experience. They at least know that the coordinates were fake, and that the guards were held captive. Anna really hoped that he was lying, but she had a feeling he was telling the truth.

"Wait, so if the coordinates are fake, does that mean the monarchs aren't there?" Anna asked.

Lance nodded. "They're with Cade and Lilith in a place far away from where you thought they were."

"Where is that?" Rapunzel asked.

"Don't worry." Lance said. "You'll see. We'll take you to them."

"We're not going anywhere with you!" Anna said.

Her words wouldn't get them anywhere. These men weren't as compassionate as King Lyre was, and they were much more hardened. They would pretend to be dead when Anna would try to plead her way out. Now, she didn't have a say in the matter. Her fate was no longer in her hands.

"We leave in two days." Lance said. "After Arendelle's doomsday."

Lance walked off, away from the girls. Two men from the sides came in, with spears drawn, and stood a few meters in front of the cage, seemingly standing guard. It was clear that they could do nothing to save themselves. They were trapped in a metal mobile cage with men around every corner. Even if they were able to escape the cage, they would still be overwhelmed by the Bandits.

As Lanced walked away, he thought about how the girls weren't in a fit to get out. They acted more tame than he originally thought they were going to act. He just shrugged it off and thought nothing more about it.

"That's how you get answers." Rapunzel whispered to Anna. The two girls then made a quite high five. They were basically playing twenty questions with Lance, and he was stupid enough to cooperate and answer most of what they asked.

Anna recapped what they knew so far. She knew that Cade's coordinates were fake, and was a trap, and that the sent guards were now captured. She also knew that Cade and Lilith were holding the kidnapped monarchs somewhere else, somewhere they didn't know. At least it was more than they came in with.

"So, how are we getting out of here?" Rapunzel whispered to Anna.

All of the hope they had vanished when Anna answered "I don't know."

Things didn't seem to be going well for them. They were now captured by their adversaries who now had the upper hand. The Southern Isles' Navy will fire upon Arendelle tomorrow, and they weren't even close to proving their innocence. Also, since Kristoff and Eugene were headed towards the coordinates' location, it was likely that they were to be captured as well. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know if they were even able to do anything. Even the frying pan, which Rapunzel still had on her as they didn't confiscate anything from the girls, wouldn't help.

All seemed to be lost, but, the girls and the Bandits didn't know that Kai was on their trail.

* * *

Author's Note: Special Thanks/ Acknowledging Fans

Before I start giving shout outs, I want to ask a few questions which I want all of you to answer. Yes, that means you too, Bob. Here they are:

1. Since Kai is on their trail, do you think he'll do what Kristoff and Eugene did and go to where he thinks they're headed? Or, do you think he'll play it smart with his tracking skills? So, basically, when Kai is forced to choose between left and right on where the path splits, will he go left to where the girls want, or do you think he'll go right to where the guys went? I obviously already know the answer, but do you? You may give a quick answer or elaborate on it.

2. Lance claims that Cade and Lilith are by themselves with the monarchs. Do you believe him? Or do you think Cade and Lilith are closer than anyone thinks? If not, where do you think they are? I, again, already know the answer. The first user to guess their whereabouts before the next chapter correctly gets a small leak about something about my next project (PM of course). Thanks for taking the time to answer if you're considering it.

We're about halfway done with the story by now if not more. I would like to thank the users who currently have this story on their favorite list as of July 15th, 2014. I'd like to give them a shoutout.

Thank you Alexandra The Snow Princess, AllAmericanSlurp, AnnaDahl, Austaprime1025, Awesomegirl3, DaleJr.88, ElsaWinterFrost, FrozenAddict15, FrozenFairyTales, Frozenisthebestever, Jblockman1, LordCanadian, MariMarshofArendelle, Pabulover123, RoxasFrost, SnowQueenElsaOfArendelle101, .52, gelgela29, and stautz21. I'd like to thank all 19 of you for added this story to your favorites, it really means a lot to me knowing you like my story.

I'd also like to thank those who at least followed my story which includes everyone above plus AstridStarryNight, Black Betty81, Disneyfan14, DoctorWhoXX, Flowerpot28, Gggc, TheIncredibleMrSauce, botcrusher, and fredbs999.

If anyone wants me to remove their name from this special thanks, please PM me about it and I'll take your username down ASAP. Although I don't really read other fanfictions myself, I'll ask you to check out some of the work done by these talented individuals.

Last but not least, I'f like to thank the guests who read my stories. I haven't forgot about my faithful guests. Thank you Guest number 1, Guest number 2, Guest number 3, and perhaps most importantly, Guest number 4. Please don't get jealous Guest number 5 if I didn't mention your name, which I technically did. Oh yeah, I'll also like to thank guests 6 through infinity as well.

Thank you for all of the support so far. Reviews, once again, are appreciated. News for other projects will be released soon. Also, in a later chapter, I'll post a quote that will give you guys the overall theme and give you guys an idea for the plot for my next story. Ciao.

P.S. I'll have another special thanks for new coming people who favorite the story after July 15th on a later chapter, also I will be acknowledging my most loyal readers on that same chapter.


	22. Catching Up

**Chapter XXII: Catching Up**

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Kai was riding on his horse, Shade, for countless amount of time. He didn't know how long he was riding along the straight path, and frankly, he didn't care. He was still following the footsteps of his friends, chiefly following Anna's and Rapunzel's steps as Elsa ordered him to focus on Anna rather than the others. Kai knew that Kristoff and Eugene left the castle at a different time than Anna and Rapunzel, plus they had rides, meaning they should've caught up to the girls by now, assuming they followed their tracks. Or, they could still be separated from each other, and they never crossed paths at all.

Kai shrugged off all of these possibilities and focused on what Elsa asked of him; finding Anna and bringing her back home. Kai assumed Kristoff left to do the same task as he was, otherwise the married couple would've left together with Rapunzel and Eugene. It would've been illogical to not leave at the same time to do the same task, and Kai knew that they weren't that stupid.

He was always paying attention to the snow covered ground as he rode Shade, making sure he wouldn't lose the trail. He highly doubted that the girls took any drastic turns when walking down the path, but knowing them, they were unpredictable. Kai couldn't allow himself to get his eyes off of the trail.

Ahead of him, he saw something that made him stop Shade. He slowed the horse down, and jumped off of him. He then took the the whip like part of his sadle that made the horse move whenever Kai whipped it, and tied it around a tree with a small trunk. Shade wasn't going anywhere.

Kai then walked ahead to investigate what made him stop in the first place; the prints of a wolf. He found many wolf prints on the snow, all scattered around but still close enough to indicate that they were in a pack. He found that the paw prints came from outside of the path, from the right of it to be exact. Not only did he find the prints, but he found that they continued ahead of him. He looked ahead of him to find that the path had split with it leading to the left and right just a couple hundred meters ahead of him.

He followed the wolf prints ahead, along with Anna's, Rapunzel's, Sven's, and Maximus'. This isn't good, he thought to himself. His friends might've been in danger, but Kai didn't know exactly what happened. As he followed the tracks to where the straight path ended, he noticed that all of the tracks looked as equally fresh as they all happened at the same time. The deepness of Sven's and Maximus' prints equaled the deepness of Anna's and Rapunzel's prints. He deduced that this was where the guys must've caught up with the girls. He didn't exactly know how the wolves fitted into the equation, but he intended to find out.

Standing at where the path ended and split off, he looked to the right path. He found that Anna's and Rapunzel's prints went that way, along with the many small prints of wolves. He then looked to the left and found that Sven's and Maximus' prints went that direction, although he found more wolf prints coming from the left side to the right side. They went opposite directions, he thought to himself.

Then, he noticed how Anna's and Rapunzel's prints were more spread out from each other on the right path, meaning that they were running. What were they running from? The wolves, Kai answered to himself. It made sense that the wolves chased the girls on the right path, and the wolves came from both the path Kai and gone and the left path.

He then knew why the guys weren't chased by wolves but the girls were. He found that the guys passed the girls at some point, but there was no indication that the guys actually saw the girls since there was no indication of any if the two parties stopping to talk to the other since the movement of both parties, according to the prints, were always constant. He assumed that the girls hid from the guys, making the guys miss them. Since the guys moved way faster than the girls, the wolves must've missed them when they went on the left path.

Kai answered another question that arose. If the girls planned to go to the coordinates, which was to the left path, why did they go on the right path? The answer was simple. They had no choice since the wolves on the left path chased them to the right.

Now, Kai knew exactly how things went down. The guys passed the girls earlier and went to the left path. The girls were forced to run to the right path because of the wolves chasing them. He hoped they didn't get into any trouble.

Now, Kai found himself deciding what to do. Should he go left or should he go right? He could only choose one group to find. Both, he thought, were probably in danger. Kristoff and Eugene were probably headed towards the coordinates where unknown dangers awaited them. Anna and Rapunzel were chased by wolves, to which Kai didn't know the outcome of.

He made Elsa a promise to Elsa which he intended to keep; bring Anna home safe and sound. He would not come home empty handed. He would have to take the right path as that's where Anna went, but that's also where the wolves went. He had to protect her at all costs, and bring her back home with him. He hoped that they were able to survive the wolves as he couldn't even imagine what Elsa would do if he came home with two corpses. He had to make sure they were okay.

Kai decided to take the right path. Kristoff and Eugene are tough guys, Kai told himself. They can handle their own.

Kai heard a growling noise behind him. Actually, he heard multiple growling and snarling sounds. He slowly turned his head to the left, barely making any other movements, to see what was behind him. He found a large pack of wolves behind him, slowly closing in on him. Where these the same wolves that chased Anna and Rapunzel? That didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was getting out of this predicament.

He turned his body around to face the wolves, and it seemed as though they got angrier. Some of the wolves had blood on their mouths. Kai wondered where it must've come from. If the blood belonged to Anna or Rapunzel... No, it couldn't have. The blood was too fresh to be the girls'. Fresh enough to seem as though the wolves just ate.

Kai counted twelve wolves in all. They all looked like they've seen some conflict as few of them had snow all over their bodies, and others had bumps on their heads. All looked fairly angry and hungry. Kai looked behind the wolves, back at the straight path. He found Shade on the ground where he left him, surrounded by red snow. That wasn't good. The wolves have gotten to Shade first.

He wasn't afraid of the wolves at all. He has faced so many dangers, worst than wolves in his life. He would be able to handle some dogs, easily. He summoned a ball of fire in his hand, and not only that, but his entire right hand was wrapped around the flames. He was careful not to burn his clothes. He then took his left hand and did the same thing, wrapping it in fire that danced.

They wolves weren't necessarily hungry for Kai's flesh after they saw the fire. He didn't even need to draw his weapon for them to back away. Their growling got more intense, but the wolves all backed away from Kai, afraid of the fire. They still didn't run away though, and that was something Kai had to change. He took a step forward, closer to the wolves, and that did the trick. They all ran off and back into the forest to get away from Kai.

Kai then ran to Shade, who was on the ground, bleeding. Kai ran as fast as he could to the poor horse. When he reached Shade, he knelt down on the red snow to see what was wrong. Shade was moving his legs, as if he was trying to get up, but that wasn't happening. There was a long three line scratch on the side of his neck that was facing up, and it led down to his throat. Blood was pouring down out of it. Shade's breathing was slow, and his whinnies were weak.

Not only that, but there were other forms of injuries on him. On his belly area, there was a large hole, with blood pouring out of it. A wolf took a bite there, and took a chunk of his skin and some meat. There were bite marks all over Shade's legs, and cuts all over his back as if a wolf jumped and scratched him many times. Many more cuts were on his body, but Kai was only able to see the left side of the horse's body. He was sure there were more on the other side.

"You're going to be okay." Kai assured Shade. "We're going to get you up and get you some help."

Shade made a sound that told Kai the horse doubted his plans.

"I'm going to help you get up." Kai said, fearing for Shade's life. "Come on, we need to get you out of here."

Shade closed his eyes, showing Kai that the horse knew what was going to happen. There was no way Shade was getting up. He was done for.

The wolves had the element of surprise with them. They attacked Shade when he wasn't looking, and took him down before he could make a single noise. All of that when Kai was figuring out where to go.

Shade made a weak neigh, in pain. Shade was of no more use to Kai, and both of them knew that. Kai was going to get up and get out, and leave his horse there. But, Kai couldn't just let his friend suffer before he died. Kai knew what he had to do as a favor for Shade.

Kai took out his dagger, and looked at Shade's neck. He managed holding back a tear. He then pointed the tip of the dagger at the horse's neck, and made the tip touch the skin. Shade knew what was going to happen, and if he could, he would thank Kai. Kai then stabbed Shade's neck with his dagger, trying not to look. He could understand the pain Shade was in through the sounds he made. Shade kicked his legs around violently, but soon, it calmed down. Kai knew the deed was done when Shade stopped making noises and stopped kicking.

He took his dagger out of Shade's neck, and wiped the blood off of his dagger with his clothes. He looked at the lifeless body of Shade.

"Goodbye, my friend..." Kai said to Shade.

He didn't have time to mourn Shade or bury the horse. He would have to continue with his mission on foot, leaving Shade's body there. It hurt him to not do anything about the body, but he had no choice. Kai stood up, and turned around. He then walked down the path to where it split, and he took the right path where Anna and Rapunzel were chased.

Kai followed the the footprints of the girls and the paw prints of the wolves. He could see how fast they were running by how spread out the tracks were. He hoped the girls were alright, and he hoped he would be able to get to them. He couldn't think about the worst scenario. Think positive, he kept telling himself.

Poor Shade, he thought. Shade was an old horse, which probably explained his inability to fight the wolves. But, Kai thought no body deserved that fate. He'd rather Shade die of natural causes than being put down like that. He was thinking about his lost friend while following the tracks.

He followed the tracks for a few hundred meters until he came across a large tree in the middle of plain, round patch of the forest. When he took a step, he felt something hard below his foot and heard a cracking sound. Kai removed his foot to see what he had stepped on, and he found a pine cone on the ground. He scanned the floor beneath him, finding pine cones scattered around everywhere.

"What the..." Kai whispered. "Pine cones don't drop until Fall."

Then, he noticed how most of the pine cones were far away from the tree itself, meaning that there would be no way they just dropped during the winter. He also saw the wolf prints scattered all around the tree, as if they were circling it like crazy.

Kai refocused himself on finding the girls. He spotted the girls prints through the wolf prints, and continued to follow them. He found that they led to another path through the trees, and continued to follow. He was glad to see that the wolf prints did not continue after the girls' prints, meaning they were still alive... probably. That assured Kai a bit more about their well being.

He followed the tracks, but they soon went off the path and into through the trees. Kai, skeptical about where they went, continued to follow the tracks. He soon found himself in an area with no trees, but a single building in the middle of it. Smoke was coming out of it's chimney.

As Kai approached the building, he found that Anna'a and Rapunzel's prints entered it and then exited it. He saw where they went after they entered the forest, and their tracks led to another path opening to the side of the patch. Kai was about to just forget about the building and continue to follow the tracks, but he wanted to know what had happened in the building.

He was able to see another pair of footprints coming from out of the forest and into the building, two pairs to be exact. He saw that they went the same direction as the girls went. He didn't know who they belonged to, but he intended to find out. Whoever was inside the building would know.

Kai stood at the front of the building and read the sign that said Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. Kai opened the door, and entered the building. Inside, he found many different items scattered all around the floor, some were broken. He looked to the wall to his right, to see different labels for items, yet the item itself was not there. Looking around some more, he found some parts of the wall were broken. There was obviously a struggle here.

There was a long shelf in the middle of the room, and to the left side of the shelf from Kai's point of view, a rather large man was picking up objects from the floor and putting them on the shelf.

"Hello." Kai said to the man.

The man looked at Kai. "Hoo-hoo!" He said. "Big winter snow out?"

"You Oaken?" Kai asked.

Oaken nodded. "Are you here to buy something?" Oaken asked.

"Actually, I've got some questions." Kai said. He then walked closer to Oaken who walked back behind his desk and sat down.

"What is it you require of me?" Oaken asked.

"Have you seen two young women in here?" Kai asked. "Perhaps the Princess of Arendelle and Corona?"

"Ah, yes." Oaken answered. "They were here not too long ago. They bought some clothes, medicine, and lutefisk."

Medicine, Kai though. "Was one of them hurt?" Kai asked. He hoped they were okay, wherever they were.

"I believe one of them had a minor injury." Oaken answered.

Kai was sort of relieved. As long as it wasn't anything major, Kai wouldn't have to worry. At least the girls knew how to treat whatever it was that happened to them. Kai turned his head and remembered the condition of the store.

"What happened here?" Kai asked.

"Some rough-houses came in looking for weapons, and they then attacked the girls." Oaken answered.

"The girls got out okay?"

"Well, I threw the men out myself and the girls ran after them." Oaken answered.

"Were they armed?" Kai asked.

"Oh yes!" Oaken said. From below his desk, Oaken pulled out the axe and sword Scarves and Hats used, one in each hand.

"Geez!" Kai said, backing away from the weapons. "Be careful with those things."

"They left their weapons here, and so I figured they belong to me. Want one? Fifty each!" Oaken said.

"I'm good." Kai said. "Hold on a minute... These look familiar." Kai took the sword and studied the strange blade that was anything but straight. Grey weapons like this looked familiar to Kai. Then, it hit him. He looked at the handle of the sword and found a small emblem carved into it. It was the Bandit's insignia, meaning bandits used this weapon. When he was a bandit, he would see everyone using cheap blades like this.

Kai didn't know what was going on. He thought Lyre ordered the disbandment of the Bandits long ago, yet why are things like this showing up now. It was possible that the people that showed up are ex Bandits, doing whatever they were doing in Arendelle. Yet, it made much more sense to Kai if the Bandits were still organized. The description Hans gave of the people that helped Lilith matched that of a Bandit. Kai couldn't think anything yet until he was sure.

He placed the sword back on the table. "Those guys are bad news." He told Oaken.

"Oh, I know, trust me." Oaken said.

"Thanks for your help." Kai said.

"No problem." Oaken said. "Would you like to buy some lutefisk?"

Kai started to walk away when Oaken was just starting to name items that he was selling. When Kai opened the door out, the last thing he heard from Oaken was "Bye bye!".

Kai looked down at Anna and Rapunzel's tracks and followed them away from the building and to the opening of the forest. The prints of the other men were clear in the snow as they were much larger compared to the girls. The separation of the tracks indicated that both parties were running at a constant pace. Kai had to get to them as quick as possible, so he ran as well.

Kai slowed down when he saw a giant crater in the snow. He knelt down next to the crater, and saw that all of the snow that once filled it was now gone, scattered somewhere else. Whatever did this had a kick, and a large one at that. Kai noticed that an explosion caused the crater, perhaps from the bombs a Bandit would carry. Kai looked around and found two body outlines in the snow, about the same shape as both of the girls. He deduced that the explosion kicked them back a bit.

He knew they were able to endure the explosion as he saw their footsteps continue after the men. But, after following the tracks a few feet, he found that they went off the path and through the trees. He soon found himself following them into another empty patch of land with nothing but snow. The patch was significantly smaller than the other patches he had seen, but it was still fairly large.

In the middle of the patch, the snow was not as thick as it was in other places. Kai noticed that, and he knew where not to step. He was able to see the men's footprints and one of the girls' footprints head towards a large tree at the side of the patch. Kai saw the prints of one of the girls go towards the middle of the patch, but then suddenly disappear. None of the footprints continued anywhere else, meaning this was everyone's last stop. So where were they?

Sometimes, it seems as though it was a good thing Kai was a Bandit. He knew exactly what this place was as he had seen and been to many of them back in Teranhall. Kai assumed that there was a cave of some sort below him, and that by standing in the middle of the patch a trap would be triggered.

Kai took his sword and quickly cut off a long but thin branch off of a tree. He held the end of one side of the branch and pointed it towards the middle of the patch. He lowered the branch so that it touched the thin layer of snow, and Kai wiped the snow away. Just as he had expected, there was wood under the snow instead of dirt or grass. His suspicions were correct; this was a Bandit place.

He had a bad feeling that the girls had fallen victim to the trap, and were now beneath him. They were in trouble, and it was Kai's job to save him. Kai looked over at the large tree he saw before. If there was one thing he knew, it would be that there was always a way down to the cave other than the trap. He knew how most of the entrances operated.

Kai walked to the tree, avoiding walking through the middle of the patch. The trunk of the tree was large, very large. Larger than that of the giant tree he saw earlier, with all of the pine cones. There was a small twig that stuck out of it, in front of Kai. In no way did the twig look like it was there naturally. Kai grabbed the twig and pulled. Like a door, the part of the trunk Kai was looking at opened up to reveal that the tree was hollow in the inside. It was large and hollow enough to fit even Oaken. A ladder was at the side of the inside of the trunk and it led down.

Kai noticed a light coming from below him. He looked down to find a large hole inside the hollow trunk, with a light emanating from below. The wooden ladder was connected to the wall of the hole, leading down to the light. Kai assumed this was how the Bandits got in and out; through the ladder.

He didn't know how deep it went, but that didn't matter. What mattered was getting Anna and Rapunzel out of there alive. He grabbed onto the ladder and started to descend down into the hole.

"And down into danger I go..." Kai said to himself, prepared for anything.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but I just wanted to give you guys some more Kai since he wasn't in the last few chapters. Next chapter, spoiler alert, will be an action chapter. Special thanks to the new people who just recently added this story to their favorites and followed it, LadyLiliaAnne and jcande. If you guys want me to take your name down, just PM me. I'll release the quote that shows the theme for the next story depending on how many people want it to know it. Ciao.


	23. Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

**Chapter XXIII: Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire**

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The ladder seemed to go down forever. Kai didn't know how long he was descending, though it was probably shorter than it seemed. In reality, he was only descending for a few seconds when he thought it was a few minutes. He didn't know what made him think that way as he was usually good with time. If his guesses were correct, then the ladder only went down three to four hundred meters, minimum.

The hole the ladder went down was not cramped at all. It was fairly large; big enough to fit even Oaken. Torches were set up in different places around the hole so that it would never be completely dark. But, even with all the light, Kai was still not able to see the end of the hole, much less the end of the ladder.

Any other person might believe that the ladder led to nowhere, but you don't need to be a Bandit or have been a Bandit to know that it led somewhere. Who would go through all of the effort to keep the torches lit at all times in the hole? Also, Kai was able to breath fine, meaning there was a source of oxygen somewhere, and since Kai was far away from the surface, there was a source below him. Also, Kai was certain that there was someone down there. Someone had to have kept the torches going.

Thanks to the torches and closed space, it was hot in the hole. But, not for Kai. His fire powers gave him a natural resistance to things such as heat, and plus he was fire proof. He would never sweat do to heat. Similar to Elsa's powers as she had a natural resistance to cold and would never slip on ice.

As Kai climbed down farther, he was finally able to hear something. From where he was, they were whispers and some forms of chatter. He looked over his shoulder and down to find the end of the hole a few hundred meters ahead of him. He was relieved to know that the ladder finally ended. As he got closer to the end of the hole, he was able to see that the ladder continued to go down past the end of the hole. He then was able to see that the hole led to a much larger open area, like a cave.

Kai knew what was in the cave; a Bandit base. He visited few Bandit bases in his time, but they all were pretty similar. Some that he went to had the same ladder system Kai was using. The sounds and voices were now louder now, much louder. They were so loud because they echoed throughout the cave.

He finally reached the end of the hole, but he wasn't necessarily out of it yet. He was holding onto the ladder, above where the entrance to the cave was. Kai was about one hundred meters off of the ground below him. He figured that he shouldn't go down there blind as he should at least have some idea of how the place looked. Also, he couldn't just study the cave while exposing his body.

He locked his feet onto the ladder, making sure that they were firmly placed so that he would not fall. He then moved his upper body back until it was upside down, with the feet and legs connecting him to the ladder. He grabbed the ladder with his hands so that only his head was sticking out of the hole and into the cave.

Everything he saw was upside down, though none of it confused him. He just imagined everything if it was right side up. Kai knew he needed a quick scan of everything before too much blood rushed to his head. The entire cave was much larger than Kai thought it would be; about two to three times larger than a normal Bandit underground base. In the middle, he saw the large fire which was an important source of light for the entire base. Other torches littered everywhere else, and tents were also scattered everywhere. Kai knew the reason for so many different tents, fortunately.

He saw many people all over the base. They all wore the clothes Kai was unfortunately familiar with; Bandit clothes, as they were in no way elegant and close to rags. Looking around some more, Kai found what he was looking for. In a cage at the end of the large circle around the fire pit was Anna and Rapunzel, trapped. He now knew they stumbled upon the trap.

"What have you guys gotten yourselves into?" Kai whispered to himself. Now, it was his job to save them as it seemed he was the only hope they had. Knowing Bandits, there was always someone watching the entrance to the base, meaning there was someone below him. From the angle he was at, Kai wasn't able to verify a guard, meaning he had to get down to see for himself.

He brought his body back right side up and continued to climb down, now completely out of the hole and he did it quickly so nobody else noticed him. When he was close enough to the ground, he dropped down finally making contact with the ground. He looked over to see if there was a guard, and sure enough there was. The Bandit guard saw Kai before Kai saw him.

"Hold." The Bandit said to Kai. "Where are you coming back from?" He wore goggles with circular lenses, and a piece of cloth that covered his mouth and nose, probably wrapped around his neck.

Kai was perplexed as to why he didn't attack him on sight. Then, he realized that it was because of his clothes. Kai's current attire was a modified form of the Bandit's usual clothes, meaning he could blend in easily. This job was going to be easier than he thought.

"Scouting." Kai answered

"What did you find?" The Bandit asked.

"Nothing that would give us a negative impact." Kai answered.

The Bandit tilted his head to Kai, confused to as what that meant.

"Nothing important." Kai cleared.

But, the Bandit still was giving Kai a tilted head. Kai was apparently incorrect in knowing why the Bandit tilted his head. Then, the Bandit took another step closer to Kai, and Kai took a step back.

"Only one person I know has red eyes like those." The Bandit said.

Uh oh, Kai thought. He looked over the man's shoulder to see if anyone was behind him, and no one was directly behind him to see the two. Tents were set up not far from them, but no one was near the tent. Kai had a feeling he wouldn't see anyone until he walked about a hundred meters.

Kai went into action quickly. He ran behind the man, swiftly, and wrapped his arm around the man's neck. He then pulled his arm closer to his chest with the man's neck in the middle, choking the man. The Bandit couldn't make any sounds while Kai was choking him out, and the best he could do was try to grab Kai's face in vain. Kai hadn't done this act in a long time, but he never forgot how to. Only after a few seconds did the motions of his arms die down and he was knocked out completely.

Kai gently dropped his body on the ground, and then he dragged it next to the ladder, sitting him upright. He made it look like the Bandit was sleeping on the job. Also, Kai needed a new disguise. Kai took the goggles off of the Bandit and put it on himself. That way, no one would recognize his eyes. He then untied the cloth from the Bandit's neck, tied it around his own neck, and pulled it up so that it covered his mouth and nose, just to be sure no one would recognize him.

He realized the sword he carried on his waist wasn't a weapon most of the Bandits would carry, but he couldn't just leave it. It did belong to Elsa and Anna's father after all.

Kai casually walked away from the body and the ladder and towards the tents. About a hundred meters in front of the ladder was the end of the slide. Slides like these were a type of trap Kai usually saw when he was with the Bandits. A few weeks of hard work would usually go in making the traps, but very rarely did they actually catch some unsuspecting people. Unfortunately, these unsuspecting people were Anna and Rapunzel.

He entered the area with tents set up and casually walked by as if nothing was wrong. Nobody gave a glance towards Kai as he fitted in that well with them. He looked around to see the many activities being done such as sparring, cooking, and smithing. The Bandits either crafted their own weapons or stole them. Usually, Bandits had unskilled smiths, meaning the weapons that came out of the makeshift forges were horrible and dull. Those were the kind of weapons Kai was seeing all over; grayish blades that weren't straight at all.

Kai looked over at an open area where some men were sparring with each other using sticks. Kai remembered sparring very well. He never really enjoyed it as he usually won. No one ever gave him a challenge, yet, somehow he willed himself through the boredom every day. Kai remembered the time he sparred against weapons using only his fist, and he wasn't allowed to use his powers. Kai still took the victory for that.

Kai was walking down a made path with no tents in the way. It led from the ladder area straight to the center of the cave; to the hearth where Anna and Rapunzel were. He had to give them some credit as they made it this far, though they were far from the place they wanted to go. Kai knew that once he got the girls out of their prison, their little journey was over. He had no intention to let them continue their quest, and this is exactly why Elsa wouldn't let Anna go in the first place.

Kai entered the large circle, indicating that he was in the middle of the large cave. The tents surrounded the area, making it look like a circle in an arial view. He looked over at the side of the circle to find Anna and Rapunzel's cage guarded by two men. The girls didn't necessarily look eager to get out. They looked more tired than anything, thanks to their futile attempts to escape no doubt.

Kai scanned the circle and found a small amount of people scattered around the area, not too many of them were close to the cage though. Kai approached the metal cage where Anna and Rapunzel were confined, and as he got closer, he was able to hear a conversation the girls were having, and their guards were ignoring them.

"How did we get ourselves in this situation, Rapunzel?" Anna asked.

"Well, we chased those two dudes here, and-"

"I mean how did we get outselves to leave the safety of the castle, and abandon those we love the most?" Anna elaborated.

"Well, when you put it that way, it makes me feel worse about leaving." Rapunzel said. "I don't know, Anna. Perhaps we felt like it was our duty?"

"Why do we feel that way when everyone else thinks differently?" Anna asked. Anna was feeling quite down about all of this. This was not at all what she hoped to happen. She thought she would run, galantly, into wherever Cade and Lilith were keeping those people and save the day. Unfortunately, that was a dream that probably wasn't going to happen. Their best chance was their current plan, and even that was probable to go wrong.

"I can't read their minds, Anna. Honestly, I don't know." Rapunzel said.

"Why, out of all people, must we be the ones to leave everything behind?" Anna asked.

"Because we're the only ones that doubt the capabilities of those guards." Rapunzel answered. "And apparently, we were right to doubt them."

"We shouldn't be so negative." Anna said.

"That's kind of hard considering the situation we're in." Rapunzel said.

They saw a third man, Kai, stand in front of their two guards, but they paid no attention to him, not knowing or caring why he was there.

"Be honest with me, Rapunzel. Do you think we'll ever see them again?" Anna asked.

"Them?" Rapunzel asked.

"Our friends and family." Anna cleared.

Right when she said that, Kai knocked the heads of both guards hardly together. Both of them were knocked out upon impact, and they fell to the ground with their heads leaning against each other. The girls were startled by this attack, and looked over at the disguised Kai, perplexed as to why a Bandit would hurt other Bandits.

Kai pulled his little cloth mouth mask down, and pulled his goggles up. He then took his goggles off of his head and dropped it on the ground.

"Not stuck in here, you're not." Kai answered Anna.

"Kai?!" Anna said. She was confused to why he was here, though she didn't care. It was nice to see a friendly face. "What're you doing here?" Anna asked. Kai just stood there, arms crossed, with an angry look on his face.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Anna said, sadly.

Kai nodded. "Big." He added. "But, we shouldn't get into that right now."

"So, what're you doing here?" Anna asked again.

"I could ask you the same thing." Kai said.

"Never mind why we're here." Rapunzel said. "Do you have an escape plan?"

"No." Kai answered.

"Great..." Rapunzel said.

"Have a little faith." Kai said.

"What? Are we going to make it up as we go along?" Anna said.

Kai smiled, answering Anna's question. She was obviously unamused by Kai's plan of improvising, and Kai noticed that. "Fine. Do you see that ladder?" Kai pointed towards the long ladder he went down earlier. The girls looked over and nodded. "That's out ticket out of here." Kai said.

"We won't be able to get there without being spotted." Rapunzel said.

"We'll fight our way out if we must." Kai said.

"First things first," Anna said "get us out of here."

Kai studied the cage and found that the only way to open it was to put a key in the lock that prevented the cage door to open.

"Looks like we need a key to open it." Anna said as if it wasn't obvious.

Kai noticed that his dagger would be able to fit through the keyhole. He pushed the bodies in front of him out of the way and to the side. He unsheathed his dagger and put the blade in his hand. He then heated the metal blade until it glowed yellow, and smoke came off of it. He then put the tip into the keyhole.

"I don't think that's gonna-" Rapunzel was interrupted when Kai jabbed his hot dagger into the keyhole, and since the blade was so hot, it was able to manipulate the weak metal inside of the keyhole. Kai then turned the dagger while it was lodged inside of the hole, and they heard a clicking sound. Kai then removed his dagger, whose blade was cooling down, and grabbed one of the metal bars. Kai then pulled the bar, and the door of the cage opened.

"I stand corrected." Rapunzel said.

Kai moved out of the way so that the girls could get out of their small prison. Kai offered his hand to the girls, but neither of them took it, refusing Kai's help. When the girls were both free of the cage, there was a clapping sound behind Kai. Kai turned around to find Lance standing about twenty five meters away from them, clapping sarcastically.

"Good job." Lance said. "You got the birds out of the cage. I assume now you'll want a medal."

"Lance..." Kai said. Kai remembered Lance very well. Lance had a higher authority than most of the Bandits, but not as high as Kai's was. The two usually butt heads during Kai's time as a Bandit. They didn't like each other at all. "I want answers." Kai continued.

"I suppose you expect me to provide them to you." Lance said.

Kai unsheathed his sword, and held his dagger in a backhand style. "You will if you know what's good for you."

"Ah, Kai. Always so quick to the threats." Lance said. "I have told a great deal of information to the girls, already."

Kai turned his head towards Anna. "What did he tell you?" Kai asked.

"I wouldn't worry about that right now." Lance said. Some Bandits started to walk in behind him; they were gathering. Kai looked to his sides to find more Bandits around them. "Also, I highly doubt you'll even get to learn that information." Lance said.

"And why is that?" Kai asked. More Bandits started to appear, and some of them spread out. They fanned around Kai and the girls who were at the edge of the circle, and the men were making a half circle around them, though they were keeping their distance.

"Because you're not leaving here alive." Lance answered.

"You sure about that?" Kai asked.

"I'm almost certain." Lance answered.

"Almost?" Kai asked, sensing some uneasiness within Lance.

"You're unpredictable." Lance continued.

"You know me so well." Kai said.

Now, there were so many Bandits surrounding Kai, Anna, and Rapunzel. It looked as though most of the Bandits who resided in the cave were present. At least thirty people surrounded them, all of them looked ready to strike when given the word. Anna and Rapunzel were able to see Scarves and Hats within the crowd, faces they were not happy to see at all.

"Let's stop all of this fuss." Lance said. "Why don't we all just sit down and have a nice cup of tea together."

"That sounds nice and peaceful." Rapunzel said, rather doing that than have a fight.

"Always looking for the cowardly way out, huh, Lance." Kai said.

"Oh come on!" Rapunzel said. Anna was thinking similarly to Rapunzel. She had a feeling that Kai's arrogance would be his downfall, but knowing him, he was rightfully arrogant. He could get out of many bad situations, and this one looked no different.

"You are failing to see who has the upper hand here, Kai." Lance said. "If I'm not mistaken, my entire crew is here with me."

"Really? This is it?" Kai asked. "You should've brought more."

"Your confidence will be your downfall." Lance said. "I'd rather not rush to violence. Cade wants the pleasure of killing you himself, but if my men must carry out that deed, then so be it."

"You know Cade?" Kai asked. "Where is he?!" Kai had a vendetta against Cade. He made it his mission to take that madman down himself.

"I don't want to reveal all of my secrets just yet." Lance said. "Put down your weapons. This is your last warning."

"I don't think so." Kai said.

"You're going to get us killed." Anna whispered to Kai.

"You underestimate me." Kai whispered back.

Lance turned around, and the crowd behind him made an opening for him to walk through. "Kill him by any means necessary. Subdue the girls." With that, Lance walked off, and the Bandits filled the opening they created. Now, more than thirty armed men surrounded Kai, Anna, and Rapunzel, on the verge of attacking.

When one Bandit took a step closer, Kai said "This is going to be fun." Kai pulled up his new mouth mask using his thumb and index finger on his right hand, where he was holding his sword.

"Why do you need the mask, now?" Rapunzel asked.

"Because it looks cool." Kai answered.

The first Bandit ran ahead towards Kai, alone. He had a large, blunt weapon raised above his head, ready to bring pain upon Kai. Now, he was a mere few feet away from Kai. He swung his weapon down upon Kai, but Kai, who had his dagger in his left hand, swiped the weapon in the air, making it go towards the ground. The man's weapon slammed the ground thanks to Kai, and his body leaned down with it, leaving it exposed. Kai kicked the man hard in the face with his left foot, knocking out a few teeth and leaving him unconscious on the ground.

That man didn't faze any of the other Bandits at all. Most of them thought he was foolish to run up to Kai alone, since they all knew Kai's skill. They still had a job to do, meaning they wouldn't stop attacking.

Then, three men ran towards Kai. One ran from in front of Kai, one from the left, and one from the right.

"Duck." Kai told the girls who were right behind him. They immediately did as they were told and dropped to the ground. When the men were close enough, Kai spun around with his left leg sticking out. But, he started spinning before they reached him, but they were running too fast to stop. Kai timed it perfectly. He first kicked the man running towards him from the left, but his leg also made the man run into the man coming from the middle, and the two then toppled over the man incoming from the right. Since they were still conscious, Anna, who was on the right side behind Kai, kicked the heads of all three men until she thought they were knocked out.

Rapunzel took out her frying pan, and Anna picked up a club that one of the men had. Kai saw that the girls were now armed, and they had no fear to be harmed or killed since the Bandits' orders forbade that. Kai ran ahead towards the group of Bandits ahead, and they were prepared to attack him. But, when Kai was close enough, he jumped in the air, using his fists, while still holding weapons, to create a stream of fire below him, propelling him higher. He then landed behind the confused group of Bandits, but before they could turn around, blasted fire from his fists diagonally to the left and right, knocking down two people, each.

Kai then quickly slashed his sword on the back of the man directly in front of him who had still not turn around. The man screamed in pain, blood coming out of the diagonal cut on his back. Kai didn't cut him deep enough to kill him. When Kai fought, the way he used his blades were meant to kill, but he always was refined about it, careful not to make a fatal injury on a person.

Now, the small row of people in front of Kai had fully turned around. About five people were now paying attention to him. Unfortunately for Kai, they all had bladed weapons. One man jabbed his sword at Kai's gut, but he easily side stepped it, and punched his left hand towards the man, and a fireball shot out of it, pushing the man back and knocking him out.

Past the remaining four men, Kai saw the rest of the little battlefield. Men were scattered all over the area, waiting for their turn to get either Kai or one of the girls. Kai hoped the girls would be able to hold their own for a bit, seeing as how he was preocupied at the moment. Kai also seriously hoped that none of these guys had a pistol.

One man swung his sword down towards where Kai's neck met his shoulder, but Kai easily deflected the attack, parrying the man, making him vulnerable to an attack, but before Kai could finish the man off, arms wrapped around Kai's shoulder, wrapping up from Kai's armpits. Someone had a hold on Kai, and this man was physically stronger than him, making it harder for Kai to get out. Kai wasn't necessarily the strongest man alive, though he was pretty strong. He mostly relied on his skill in combat rather than brute force.

A man was holding Kai still while another man readied his sword to kill Kai while he was vulnerable. When the attacking Bandit jabbed his sword towards Kai, Kai fell back, making the man holding him fall to the ground and Kai landed above him. Kai was able to see the blade over their bodies. He quickly swiped his sword up in the air, as hard as he could, and the sword that it hit flew out of the man's hand.

Kai shot back up and kicked the man above him down on the ground. Kai stood on the man's chest, and kicked the man's face as hard as he could. He could've sworn he heard something crack. Kai then turned back to the other man on the ground who was slowly getting up. Kai took his sword and slashed the man's torso, leaving a large, red diagonal line on it.

Kai looked over to see how the girls were doing before he continued the fight.

Anna made a small personal circle around her, not letting anyone in it. Men were running towards her, without a weapon as they didn't want to accidentally harm her or Rapunzel. They were all much bigger in size than Anna was, and all were obviously physically capable of subduing her easily. But, Anna was able to hold her own.

Although the club she had was slightly heavy, she was easily able to control it. One man ran towards her with his arms reached out, and with one swing, Anna was able to knock some of his teeth out and knock him on the ground. Next, two men were running towards her, but with one swing, Anna knocked both of them out. Anna refused to let anyone come close to her, making sure they kept their distance.

Anna jabbed her club at the face of an approaching Bandit, and it looked as if his nose went into his body. He fell back, putting his hands over his face in pain. Anna wasn't used to all of this violence, but she felt so alive. She felt invincible; like no one could harm her.

She then found many men coming at her from different directions, and no way Anna could take them all out with one swing. Then, something popped in her head. She started spinning her body around in circles as fast as she could. When she was able to, she raised her club up in front of her, with it sticking out, spinning as well. The Bandits running towards her were going to quick to stop. They all flew back thanks to the spinning club.

When Anna stopped spinning, she needed a minute to refocus herself and get out of her dizziness. She saw that she just took out so many men by herself, and for that, she was proud. If only Elsa could see her now.

Then, someone grabbed Anna's arms from behind, making her immobile. She struggled to try to escape from the man's grip, but he was simply too strong. In front of her stood another man with a rope in his hands, intending to tie Anna up. She wasn't ready to go down just yet. Luckily for her, the man was leg's reach away from her. She swung her right leg up, and her foot kicked the man's crotch. He grabbed his crotch and slunk down in agony, tears coming out of his eyes.

Anna then swung her head back, making the back of her head hit the man behind her in the face. He instantly let go of Anna and grabbed his face in pain. Anna then took her club and swung it up, from the ground, towards the crotch of the man. He gave a woman like scream, and slunk down like his Bandit friend. He wasn't having kids anytime soon.

Anna continued her fight as more men continued to run at her like never ending rain. She didn't know how many men were left, but judging by how many she saw, there was still a lot. Anna looked over at Rapunzel to see how she was doing.

Rapunzel was a master at the art of the frying pan. She knew how to use the frying pan as if she was one with it. Rapunzel swung her frying pan at the head of a man who was close to her, and he instantly fell to the ground, unconscious. She then heard and felt a presence behind her. She spun around with her frying pan sticking out and it hit the head of another man who was approaching her.

She wasn't used to fights as large as this one, but the way she fought showed otherwise. Rapunzel saw a man running towards her from the distance. He was about a fair ten feet away from Rapunzel, and she quickly turned her neck back to see another man running towards her from behind. She had options on how to take them both out, but she had to choose fast because if they catch her, that would be game over.

She threw her frying pan like a frisbee towards the man she was facing. It flew towards the man's neck, and before he could react to it, it met his throat. After it hit the man's throat, it then flew back towards Rapunzel like a boomerang. The man it hit fell down to the ground, choking.

Rapunzel knew the other man must be closer to her by now. She quickly turned around and swung her frying pan. Her intuition was correct. Her frying pan hit the man's rib cage, and he grabbed it out of pain. Then, Rapunzel jabbed the frying pan at the man's jaw, making some of his teeth fly out and him fall to the ground. She then stepped over him and swung the pan down on his face, knocking him out right after.

She then looked over at Anna who was being a monster at defeating people.

"How many have you taken down so far?!" Rapunzel asked Anna, at the same time swinging her frying pan at an approaching man.

"Are we counting?" Anna asked. She then ducked as a Bandit jumped at her in an attempt to tackle her, but he missed. She then hit his head with a club.

"We should. It would make a fun game." Rapunzel said, kicking a Bandit in the crotch and then smacking him with her pan.

"Now is really not the time to play games!" Anna said, kicking her foot in the and hitting an incoming Bandit.

"These guys aren't that tough, huh." Rapunzel said.

"Not at all!" Anna said. She then knocked out another Bandit, and looked over at Kai to see how he was doing. Kai was taking out men in front of him left and right.

Anna's eyes widened when she saw a Bandit approaching Kai from behind with a dagger raised in the air.

"Kai!" Anna yelled as the Bandit brought his dagger down.

* * *

Author's Note: This is currently the longest chapter I have ever written and it still had to be cut short. So, I hope you guys liked it. Another cliffhanger ending for you guys. Also, the chapter title was inspired from the chapter title in The Hobbit, and it means getting out of a bad situation into a worse one. Ciao.


	24. Getting Out Of The Fire

**Chapter XXIV: Getting Out Of The Fire**

* * *

"Kai!" Anna screamed as the Bandit held his dagger of the back of Kai's neck, who did not see what was going on.

Rapunzel saw what looking at right when the two broke eye contact earlier. Rapunzel saw the blade threatening Kai's life, and she reacted as quick as she could. Before the Bandit could jab his blade down upon Kai, Rapunzel threw her frying pan like a throwing knife at the Bandit's face. Before the Bandit's blade touched Kai's neck, who by the way was preoccupied at the moment, Rapunzel's frying pan hit the Bandit's face, bounced off of it, and flew back towards Rapunzel who caught it in one hand.

Kai turned back quickly to see what had happened. He saw the unconscious body of the Bandit who almost killed him, the dagger next to the body. Kai knew something flew by his head, and when he turned to look towards Rapunzel who was holding a frying pan in her hand, he knew that it was her. He heard Anna scream his name but he didn't know what she was trying to do, but now, seeing the body of the Bandit, he knew. Kai didn't know how close the Bandit was to killing him, but at least he was safe now thanks to Rapunzel.

Kai nodded at Rapunzel, smiling under his face mask, acknowledging her help. Rapunzel smiled and nodded back at him. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of men who were after Kai's head. One man ran up to Kai and Kai was able to strike first. Kai slashed at the man's torso, but the man blocked Kai's sword with his own. Then, Kai leaned in and swiped his dagger at the man's gut. Kai didn't cut him deep enough to kill him, but enough to leave him in a lot of pain. The man dropped his sword, grabbed his bleeding belly, and fell to the ground.

Another Bandit slowly approached Kai. This man's physique was similar to Kai's as he was thinner than most of the Bandits. His sword pointed toward the ground as he made his way towards Kai. Kai had half a mind to just take this newcomer out and be done with it, but something told Kai to refrain from that. This man believed himself to be a challenge for Kai, and Kai had a feeling that that man thought that. This man's confidence amused Kai, who was ready to fight.

"Hey there, tough guy." Kai said, spinning both weapons around, making them look like spinning helicopter blades (of course helicopter blades didn't exist yet). The man responded to Kai by spinning his one sword around himself in a similar fashion. Two Bandits were approaching Kai from behind the man, ready to support him. But, the man knew of their presence, and raised his hand to head level, telling the Bandits to back off.

"I'll stick your head on a stake." The man told Kai.

"Be my guest." Kai responded.

The man then quickly jabbed at Kai with his sword, but Kai easily smacked the sword away with his own, parrying the man. Then, Kai punched the man in the face with his left hand, where he was holding his dagger backhand, knocking the man back, unconscious.

"So much for confident." Kai said.

It was miraculous how Kai fought so well with an injured shoulder, and it was miraculous how the girls fought so well with no experience or training. Either they were really lucky and skillful, or the Bandits all sucked. The latter seemed more likely.

Kai noticed that two Bandits were running at him from the side, each on a different side of him. He had options on how he could take them out, but he figured he shouldn't let them get closer to him. He turned to his right to face the man running at him. He took his dagger and threw it at the man's feet. His dagger flew downward and stabbed the running man's right foot, making him fall down immediately in pain.

Kai assumed that the other man would be very close to him by now. So, Kai swung around and slashed his sword, but the man was expecting that. The man blocked and parried Kai's attack, making Kai's sword fly out of his hand. The blade of the sword stuck to the ground next to the head of an unconscious Bandit. The man Kai was facing pointed the tip of his sword toward Kai's chest, telling Kai than ant form of movement will result in death.

Kai knew that the man was going to kill him either way as those were his orders. He then asked himself why he should fall victim to this man.

"Prepare for death!" The man said, taking the sword away from Kai just to raise it in the air for a finishing blow. Kai easily sidestepped and ducked the attack, making the sword blade miss it's target and hit the ground. Then, Kai moved behind the man and punched the back of the man's head, hoping to knock him out. Unfortunately, the man had a thick skull... literally. Kai hurt himself more than he hurt the man. Kai's adversary turned his head back to give Kai a dirty look. He then turned his full body around with his sword still in his hand.

"Take this!" Kai heard Rapunzel yell.

He looked over at her to see her toss him her frying pan while she was busy evading the Bandits trying to catch her. Kai caught the frying pan, mid air, and smacked the Bandit's face with it. A loud smacking noise was heard when it made contact with the man's face. Kai hoped the frying pan would be enough, but apparently, it was not. The man looked unmoved by the frying pan. The Bandit then smiled widely to which Kai was confused to. Then, the left side of the man's face, the side where Kai hit him, starting to turn more red. The man's teeth then started to fall out one by one, and those that did not fall out were cracked. He closed his eyes and fell to the ground, right in front of Kai's feet.

Kai looked at the frying pan in awe. "Huh..." Kai said, confused to it's usefulness.

Then, in front of Kai, a sword swung down upon him. Kai quickly blocked the attack with the frying pan, now focusing on the new adversary standing in front of him. Kai pushed the sword back with his frying pan and kicked the man's crotch. The man then fell,to his knees where Kai swung the frying pan upward towards the man's head, knocking him out instantly.

Kai heard the footsteps of a running man behind him. After a second or two of waiting for the perfect moment to strike, Kai spun around and smacked the Bandit behind him hard with the frying pan, blood and saliva flew out of his mouth. Then, Kai felt another presence behind him. When he turned around, he saw a sword jab towards him without any warning. Before the sword could meet it's target, Kai smacked it away with the frying pan. Kai then swung the frying pan at the man's head, but the man quickly pulled out a knife and used it to protect himself from the frying pan by putting it in between his face and the incoming pan.

Luckily for the man, his block worked. The frying pan failed to make contact with the man's head. Unfortunately for the man, Kai had fire powers and a free arm. Kai engulfed his hand in flames and punched the chest of his adversary. The man flew back and hit another approaching Bandit, both knocked down to the ground. That still didn't stop people from trying to kill Kai.

Kai was then approached by four men, all with rusty swords in their hands. One came in from in front of Kai, one from behind, one from the left, and one from the right. He was being surrounded. Too bad that wouldn't be much help to the health for those men. Kai just stood there and let them come to him until they were all about five feet away. Kai made the first move by kicking the man in front of him with a fiery foot, knocking him back by quite a distance. Then, to Kai's left, the man jabbed his sword. Kai quickly ducked the attack, making the man accidentally stab the man to Kai's right in the shoulder, making him fall to the ground in pain.

Kai then quickly kicked his left leg out and turned to his left, making his leg knock the man to his left down to the ground. Then, Kai jabbed the front side of the frying pan to the man who used to be behind him in the knee, not hard enough to knock him down but hard enough to make him wince and bend down in pain. When the man bent down, Kai swung his frying pan up at the man's head, knocking him out. Kai then looked at the man he had just knocked down moments before, quickly stood up, and hit him in the head with his frying pan.

Kai looked down at the frying pan once more. "Huh..." He said once again, amazed by it's usefulness.

Kai looked over at Rapunzel to see how she was doing without the frying pan. Instead of attacking people with a weapon, Rapunzel was just dodging and running away from their attempts to subdue her. Kai was surprised on how she was able to hold her own without a weapon. Kai looked around to find his sword sticking out of the ground. He ran to it, hitting a Bandit on the head on his way. When he picked up his sword, he looked over at Rapunzel once more.

"Rapunzel!" Kai yelled. She looked over at his direction, and he threw her the frying pan like a frisbee. On it's way to her, it hit a Bandit in the head, knocking him out, and it bounced off to hit another Bandit's head, knocking him out as well. Rapunzel caught the handle of the frying pan with one hand, and immediately used it to hit an incoming Bandit.

Kai saw his dagger stuck on the foot of a fallen Bandit, rushed to it, and yanked it out of the foot. The blood on the blade didn't look very appealing to Kai so he wiped it off with hit shirt. With that, he continued to fight.

Rapunzel fended off incoming Bandits as if they were flies; using her frying pan as a fly swatter. They stood no chance against the might of the frying pan as all would fall prey to it's might. She made her way closer to Anna who was fighting just as well as she was. Soon, the girls found themselves fighting back to back, making sure no Bandit would come close to touching them.

Rapunzel smacked a man's face with her frying pan on his right cheek, but he still wasn't knocked out. She then smacked him again, this time on the opposite cheek, and that did the trick. He flew down to the ground to his left. Behind her, Anna was fighting fiercely. Anna jabbed her club at the stomach of the man in front of her, making him bend down and clutch his stomach in pain. Taking two fingers, Anna poked the man in each eye, making him take his hand off of his stomach and onto his face with tears. The man took a few steps back, making him trip over the body of a fallen Bandit who fell wrath to Anna's club.

Anna then saw another Bandit run at her. They just kept coming and never stopped. She raised her club in the air like a baseball bat, and when he was close enough, swung at his head. She could've swore she heard the sound of cracking bones, but she wouldn't know since the sound of her club breaking was much louder. Upon impact, her club snapped into two parts, and Anna was left holding the smaller half of the club.

"What am I going to do with this?" Anna said, turning around to Rapunzel.

Rapunzel also turned around to face Anna. Then, Rapunzel spotted a Bandit run up towards Anna from behind who still had her back turned. Anna saw the same thing behind Rapunzel. At the same time, they raised their weapons in the air and threw them at their adversaries. Anna's club piece flew and hit the Bandit's head, shattering into small pieces of wood in the process. Rapunzel's frying pan hit the Bandit's head and then flew back to Rapunzel who caught it.

They couldn't spot any more enemies around them, believing that was the end. They turned towards Kai who had just finished kicking a downed Bandit on the head. He too looked around to see no more enemies in sight. On the ground lay countless bodies of unconscious or incapacitated Bandits. Kai ran to the girls, stepping on some Bandits in the process.

"Good work." Kai told the girls.

"This was easier than I thought it would be." Anna said.

"Yeah..." Kai said. "These guys aren't getting up anytime soon."

Rapunzel heard a groaning Bandit next to her, so she kicked him once in the head to shut him up. "Is that everyone?" Rapunzel asked.

"We can assume since I can't hear any other voices echo through the cave." Kai said.

"What about Lance?" Anna asked.

"What about him?" Kai asked.

"I don't see him anywhere." Anna said. "Any idea what happened to him?"

"Knowing him, he probably escaped during all of this conflict. We shouldn't worry about him now." Kai said.

"No, you shouldn't..." said a voice behind Kai. Kai turned around to see who it was, and the girls looked towards that direction as well. There, they saw a Bandit who was using a club as a cane as if he had trouble standing up. He had a large, red, diagonal cut on his front body from Kai's attack on him.

"Worry about me..." The man said, weakly. Then, he pulled out a sphere bomb from under his clothes. He pulled out a small pin from the sphere bomb and held it in front of him.

"By any means necessary..." The man said. With that, he tossed the bomb high up in the air as hard as he could. The girls and Kai looked up at it as it flew upward towards the ceiling of the cave. They didn't know how he was strong enough to throw it that high, but somehow he mustered up the strength for it.

This isn't going to end well, Kai thought to himself. When the bomb touched the ceiling of the cavern, it immediately exploded. The sound of the explosion echoed throughout the entire cavern. Then, the entire cave started rumbling, and cracking sounds could be heard. The three glanced up closely at the ceiling and found that cracks were being made in it. Then, a piece of the ceiling parted from it, falling down onto the ground below. It landed above a tent, completely destroying it.

That wasn't the last of the falling chunks of rock. More large rocks fell from the ceiling onto the ground, all around the cave. No where was safe. A large chunk of rock fell down around the large fire, crushing the bodies of some Bandits upon impact, killing them, and it landed near Rapunzel, Anna, and Kai as well. Rapunzel looked over at the Bandit who threw the bomb. His eyes were closed, signifying that he was ready to accept his fate. Rapunzel, however, was not.

"What's the plan?" Rapunzel asked Kai and Anna as she turned towards them. She then found that they were not next to her as she previously thought. They were running away from the circle, heading towards the open path that led to the ladder. They had a small head start from Rapunzel by about ten feet. "Hey, wait for me!" Rapunzel yelled. She then sprinted after Kai and Anna, and she eventually got behind them.

"We gotta hurry!" Kai said. "This whole place is coming down!"

As they ran through the cleared path, a large chunk of rock was falling down towards them. The rock was too large for any of them to not notice. It was big enough to block the path, meaning if they didn't get ahead of it, their path would cut. Kai started sprinting as fast as he could, hoping for the girls to follow his example. Luckily, they got the message. They sprinted as fast Kai was sprinting and it seemed enough to run ahead of the falling rock. The large rock landed with a thud and almost crushed Rapunzel who barely got ahead of it.

Both to their left and right, tents were being crushed by the falling rocks. The sounds of snapping and crashing was all that could be heard. A large rock, though smaller than the one they previously escaped, fell toward the path, yet it wasn't falling to the middle of it. Kai saw it in time to side step it, running around the left side of it. Anna and Rapunzel then followed in Kai's footsteps by running to the side of it.

"What about the people back there?!" Anna asked Kai. "They'll all be crushed and die!"

"If you want to go back and help those thieves and murderers, be my guest." Kai said. "There's nothing we can do about them."

"So we're just going to let them die?!" Rapunzel asked Kai, running behind Anna.

"This whole place is coming down with or without us under it!" Kai said. "There's no time to save them."

He was too focused on the girls, he failed to see the giant rock fall down in front of him. He wasn't quick enough to run ahead of it. When the rock landed right in front of him, he wasn't able to stop running. He ran straight into the rock, hurting his injured shoulder when he made contact with it. The girls, luckily, stopped before they crashed into the rock like. Kai.

There was no way they would be able to climb over the rock as it was too tall for even Kai. It stood about fifteen feet tall, and completely blocked the path. Kai kicked the rock in anger.

"What do we do now?" Anna asked. Looking around, they didn't have much time before the the entire place caved in. Kai motioned the girls back to which they did. They stood about ten feet back away from the rock, standing right behind Kai. Kai then shot a large blast of fire directly at the rock, hoping for it to destroy the rock. But, when his fire made contact, it quickly dispersed, not doing any damage to the rock at all.

"Fire isn't very effective against rock." Rapunzel said.

"Good to know..." Kai said. "What do we do now?" Kai said.

Anna walked up to an opening between two tents off to the side of the path. "We could just go around the rock." Anna suggested.

"That works too, I guess." Kai said.

They ran around the tents until they got on the opposite side of the rock. Only then did they re-enter the path they were originally running through. With that, they continued to sprint towards the ladder which was their only way out. The wooden slide that went around the entire cavern was already destroyed, and most of it became falling debris.

Another large rock was falling onto the path. Kai ran to the right side of the path while the girls took the opposite side. The rock fell in between the two and Kai, but luckily, nobody was harmed. Rapunzel's foot almost was under it, but luckily she ran fast enough to avoid losing her foot.

This entire place was filled with close calls. They almost met their fates many different times. The rocks just weren't letting up. This would continue going on until the cave completely, well, caved in.

The ladder was only about one hundred and fifty meters away from them. Even though they were so close, it wasn't the time to slack off and run any slower. The rocks didn't want them to survive as they continued to fall on the path, but they always landed after the three passed the landing location. They didn't worry about any more falling rocks ahead of them as they would always keep an eye up. By now, they assumed that the Bandits had already met their fates by the falling rocks.

The large fire had not extinguished, even though rocks completely destroyed the wooden structure it ran on. Now, it was just scattered in smaller fires in the center of the cave, or at least what was left of the cave. Some torches still burned, but most of them were taken out. The cavern was getting dimmer and dimmer as they approached the ladder.

Finally, the trio reached the ladder, and without hesitation, Anna started to climb up. When she was about five feet above the ground, she looked down at Kai who had not yet started to climb.

"You sure you know where this thing leads?" Anna asked.

"Yeah." Kai said. "Just go up!"

Anna continued to climb the ladder. Rapunzel prepared to climb the ladder, but Kai held his hand out in front of her, preventing her from getting on the ladder.

"No, not you!" Kai said. "They expect one of us in the wreckage, sister."

"What?!" Rapunzel said. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Of course I am." Kai said, taking his hand away from Rapunzel. "Why so serious?"

Rapunzel started to climb the ladder, about a few feet away from Anna. When Rapunzel was high enough, Kai then himself started climb the ladder as the last one to go since he needed to assure the girls were safe. He just hoped that the hole wouldn't cave in as well while they were climbing since that would mean the end for all of them.

Anna soon entered the hole, finally out of the way of the falling rocks. It was a miracle that the ceiling around the hole hadn't fallen down yet. As the climbed, they noticed that the ladder was really shaky and unstable. Thanks to the cave-in no doubt.

"We're not gonna make it." Rapunzel said, scared. "We're gonna die here!"

"Don't think about that!" Kai said, able to hear her worries. "When you have children and raise them, and when your skin starts to wrinkle along with your husband's, then you have my permission to die."

"Who gave you that right? Who do you think you are?" Rapunzel asked, irritated.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is the plan; the plan to get you guys out." Kai said.

"I'm still not sure about how this ladder will hold!" Rapunzel said.

"Calm down, Rapunzel!" Kai said. "We're still close to the ground. Now is not the time to fear... That comes later."

"What do you mean by that?!" Rapunzel said.

"Just climb!" Kai ordered.

Soon, Rapunzel entered the hole, then followed by Kai. When Kai was finally clear from the cave, the fire inside of it all died down, leaving the place completely darkened. Nothing could be seen, only heard. The only thing they could hear was the sound of the falling rocks onto the ground.

Kai was sort of glad that the Bandits were unconscious when they were crushed by the rocks. That way, they wouldn't scream.

* * *

They seemed to be climbing up forever, but soon, Anna was able to see a form of light above her. She continued climbing until the light became more bright, and the air became more fresh. She then found herself off of the ladder, standing in what looked like a hollow tree. She saw the outlining of a door in the side of the trunk, and she opened it. She found herself in the same small open area she was in before she fell down the trap. She took a deep breath, glad that it all was over.

The ground Anna was standing on luckily didn't fall down into the cave as it was many layers up above the ground so the cave in wouldn't affect it.

Anna walked out of the tree and into the open area, careful not to enter the center of it, knowing where that led. She turned back toward the tree she exited from and saw that Rapunzel had already finished climbing the ladder and was standing beside the tree. Kai was still climbing out of it.

It was about mid afternoon when they got outside. Night time was coming close, and the deadline Ander gave was coming to an end.

"Well, that was fun." Anna said.

"Yeah, we barely-" Rapunzel was interrupted by Kai shushing her.

He gave them a motion, telling them to be quite. They didn't know what was up with him, but knowing Kai, he wouldn't be doing that for no reason. The girls zipped their mouths closed and looked at Kai, still confused as to what was going on. Rapunzel slowly walked over next to Anna, feeling comfort close to a friend.

Kai was hearing breathing. Heavy breathing. He knew it wasn't coming from him or the girls as they breathed much less quietly with their noses. This breathing sounded like it was coming from someone's mouth. Someone was nearby, and Kai had to find out who it was. But, he had his suspicions.

The girls watched as Kai walked behind the tree they were just at. From behind the tree, Lance appeared being pushed to the ground. He landed on the snow with snow flying off the ground where he landed. Kai stood over Lance who was trying desperately to crawl away.

Kai picked him up by the shoulders and slammed him on another large tree to the side. Kai then let go of Lance and let him sink down to the ground where he sat leaning against the tree.

Kai then cracked his knuckles.

"Okay, Lance." Kai said. "I want some answers."

* * *

**Next chapter will be up on either Sunday, July 27th or Monday, July 28th.**

* * *

Author's Note: Did you guys catch the references I put in there? The opportunities were too good to pass up. Also, now you guys know when I'll post the next chapter. Be sure to be one of the first to read my next chapter. Feedback from everyone is appreciated. Please right a review/comment! Ciao.


	25. A Promise To Keep

**Chapter XXV: A Promise To Keep**

* * *

"Please, don't hurt me!" Lance said, scared.

Kai stood over Lance who was sitting down on the ground, leaning against a tree. His crossbow was still strapped to his back and it was in between his back and the tree. The girls stood back, away from Kai and Lance. They weren't standing in the middle of the open patch, but they stood to the side, watching Kai work his magic.

"Well, Lance, I might've considered that if you didn't try to kill me." Kai said.

"It was a misunderstanding." Lance said, fearing for his life.

"A misunderstanding?!" Kai asked. Kai then punched Lance in the face as hard as he could. Anna looked away when Kai did it, and Rapunzel out her frying pan in front of her face so her sight was blocked. They didn't want to see that action. When Lance turned his face back to Kai, his left eye was bruised and cut. Blood dropped down his left cheek.

Then, Lance's pants started to get wet around the crotch area. They were able to hear a running noise from Lance. Then, the snow next to and beneath Lance's legs started to become yellow and some of it started to melt. Kai covered his nose since he didn't want to smell the urine. Lance just peed himself in fear of Kai. Kai thought that was pathetic, but then again, he wasn't surprised that this was something Lance would do.

The girls looked over at Lance and started to giggle. They couldn't believe someone would ever pee themselves like that, even during these circumstances. Lance was more cowardly than they thought he was. To Kai, they were giving Lance to much credit. Kai expected something like this from Lance.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Kai said.

"Sorry..." Lance said.

"Shut up!" Kai barked.

"Okay..." Lance said.

"I said shut up!" Kai barked.

"I am!" Lance countered.

"Shut up!" Kai repeated.

Lance didn't say another word following that. He knew that it would be safer for his health if he just kept quite and talked only when Kai allowed him to talk. Now, Lance was just waiting for his interrogation... except he wasn't willing to give out information.

"This is how this going to work." Kai said, crouching down in front of Lance. "I want answers. You _have _answers. I have questions, and you're going to answer them."

"I don't think so, Kai." Lance said, confidently. "My bosses pay me well to keep my mouth shut, and I won't betray that payment."

Kai already got something off of him, even without asking a question. He now knew that Lance has more than one boss, and Kai intended to find out who. But first, he needed to break the loyalty Lance had with them. Knowing Lance, that would be extremely easy.

"What is this payment of yours?" Kai said.

"This, I'll tell you. I keep my mouth shut, and they let me live. See, if I tell you something, they'll have my head. I like my head." Lance answered.

"Look at it this way." Kai said. "You answer my questions, and you get to live."

"For how long?!" Lance said. "They'll kill me if I tell you anything." Lance was still very stubborn and not ready to tell Kai anything important. Right now, Lance was a locked door and Kai was without a key. But, like a locked door, it can be taken down. Kai just needs to kick it some more.

"See Lance, I intend to take this boss of yours down. If I stop him, you'll be safe." Kai said.

"Not worth it..." Lance said.

Kai raised his arm in the air, ready to knock Lance to tomorrow. Lance readied himself to take another punch, simpering silently. Before Kai could throw his fist down upon Lance, Anna yelled "Stop!" and Kai turned toward her, confused as to why she suddenly cared about his health. Kai stood up and turned around to look at Anna.

"You can stay out of this." Kai said. "Things are about to get ugly and I rather you not watch."

"What's with the violence?!" Anna asked.

"I'm getting answers!" Kai countered.

"Is this really the only way?" Anna asked. "He's in our palms. We don't need to hurt him if he can't hurt us."

"We really don't have time for anything else!" Kai yelled.

"Kai!" Rapunzel said. "If he won't talk, we will. He told us a lot of things."

Kai's eye twitched. He recalled that Lance mention telling things to the girls, and he recalled asking the girls, unsuccessfully, what it was Lance told them. If Lance wouldn't tell him anything, the girls surely will. At least someone was going to help.

"Why didn't you tell me before?!" Kai asked, angrily.

"Well, I was too distracted by him peeing his pants." Rapunzel said. Anna nodded in agreement. Even Kai had to admit, that was hilarious, especially coming from Lance. Things like that made him wonder how Lance came to be leader of the group of Bandits down there, now deceased.

Kai sighed, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did he tell you?" Kai asked the girls.

"Well, for one thing, he works for Cade and Lilith." Anna said.

Kai had suspected as much. Knowing the way Cade acts, he wasn't surprised how Cade would be able to make people bow to him like that. His subjects feared him more than respected him.

"Is that all?" Kai asked.

Anna shook her head. "The coordinates Cade gave us; they were fake."

"As in?" Kai asked.

"It was a trap." Anna elaborated.

Kai now respected Elsa's precautions much more. He felt that more people should've listened to her when she had her doubts about this place. Now, he knew she was right and so many others were wrong. It was a mistake sending the guards away, and someone was going to pay for it. Kai feared that it would be Elsa.

"Then what of the guards we sent there?" Kai asked.

"He said they were captured." Rapunzel said. "Eugene and Kristoff were heading that way..."

"Kai." Anna said, pointing at Lance.

Kai turned around to find Lance loading his crossbow. Instantly, Kai shot a fireball at the crossbow, destroying it upon impact. Lance was greatly startled by the attack, managing a woman-like scream. Lance dropped the burnt remains of what used to be his crossbow and put his hands on the snow as they were burning from Kai's fire.

"Don't even think about it." Kai told Lance. He then refocused his attention on the girls.

"Kristoff and Eugene were chasing after you, right?" Kai asked to which both girls nodded. "I assume they never got to you."

"Yeah." Anna said. "They took the left path and we went right."

"Because of the wolves?" Kai asked.

Anna gave Kai a perplexed look. "How'd you know that?" She asked.

"The trail you left was easy to follow." Kai said. "That's how I found you here." Kai really didn't want to get into it in much detail since time was running short. It was best if they just said what needed to be said and be done with it.

"He was going to deliver us to Cade and Lilith." Raounzel said.

"Well, did he tell you where?" Kai asked.

Rapunzel shook her head. Kai turned around to look at a scared Lance. "Then we'll have to find out." Kai said.

Kai walked over to Lance who whimpered as Kai shadowed over the light that was shining on him. Kai then again crouched down to the ground and gave Lance a dirty look. Kai was going to get his answers out of Lance by any means necessary. He could be very... persuasive. Kai hoped he wouldn't have to hit Lance again to get what he wanted. That obviously made Anna upset. So, he hoped Lance would be like the ex-Duke of Weseltown and give in to intimidation.

Kai put his hand next to Lance's head and leaned it on the tree. He then took his other hand and used it to pull down the face mask he still had on. Kai's mouth was now visible.

"Pay attention to my lips and voice when I ask you this." Kai said in an intimidating tone. "Where is Cade and Lilith?"

"I'm not telling you shit!" Lance said. The curse wasn't very welcomed in anyone's ear. "You can go f-" Before Lance could finish his sentence, Kai quickly unsheathed his dagger and stabbed it on the tree, next to Lances head. The blade barely touched Lance's skin, but some of his hair was cut off.

"Okay, Lance..." Kai said. "I've had a really long day. I was almost attacked by wolves. My horse was killed. I needed to sneak in your base to save these girls. Then, your boys attacked me and tried to kill me. I ran away from a bunch of falling rocks. Now, I'm dealing with you. Frankly, I'm kind of pissed off."

"You're not the only one." Rapunzel whispered, not loud enough for Kai to hear but loud enough for Anna to.

Kai continued to speak. "Now, you have sixty seconds to tell me where Cade and Lilith are. If you don't answer in sixty seconds, you don't have to worry about them killing you. All you need to worry about is the world of pain I'm going to bring you. Sixty seconds to tell me everything."

Kai took his dagger out of the tree and stood up. He studied the blade while waiting for Lance to talk.

"Please, I can't give you anymore information. I want to help you, really I do, but do you have any idea what they'll do to me if they find out?" Lance said in a pleading tone.

"Fifty five seconds." Kai said, ignoring Lance.

Anna didn't really know how to feel about Kai's threat. She agreed with him, believing they needed to get the information off of Lance, but the way they were doing it felt wrong. She believed that there were other ways to handle this without pointing a blade. Perhaps she was wrong though. Despite how cowardly Lance was, he was also just as stubborn. It was possible this was the only way.

"Come on, Kai. Please don't do this. I just don't want to die, and I'll die if I tell you. If you let me go, I won't die! Please, I'm begging you! Let's just forget about all of this. We all walk home safe and sound with all teeth attached." Lance pleaded.

"Forty seconds." Kai said, growing sick and tired of Lance's pleas. He was growing impatient.

"Kai!" Anna said, walking up next to him. Kai turned his head to look at Anna but then refocused himself on his blade. "We don't have to do this." Anna told Kai.

"Yes, she's right!" Lance said.

"Shut up!" Anna ordered.

"Okay..." Lance said, sadly.

"There has to be another solution to this." Anna continued. "We don't need to hurt anybody."

Kai wasn't even considering Anna's idea. He was somewhat blocking her out, not letting anything persuade him to do the opposite to what he was doing. "Thirty seconds." Kai told Lance.

"No, please!" Lance said. "I'll do anything else! I'll pay you! I'll give you anything you want besides _that!_"

"I don't need whatever you have to offer." Kai said. "Twenty five seconds."

"Kai, look at him!" Rapunzel said, walking to Kai and Anna. "He's a mess. Don't expect him to tell us anything. Just let it go, and we'll find another way."

Both girls greatly disapproved of this method of interrogation. Kai wasn't acting like himself. He would never usually use scare tactics like this. They wondered what had gotten into him.

"You don't need to hurt me." Lance said. "You're a good person, Kai. You care about the well being of others. So, if you care about _my _well being, you won't do this. Please, I'm being you, mate. Just leave me alone. I'll do anything. I'll suck your-"

"Fifteen seconds." Kai interrupted, not wanting Lance to finish that sentence.

"Finger." Lance continued. "I was going to say finger..."

Everything was intensifying. Lance's pleads got greater. If Kai hadn't put his foot on Lance's chest, Lance would've attempted to run away already. Anna and Rapunzel still couldn't believe what Kai was doing to Lance. Something was strange about his behavior. Lance's pleads became more desperate as Kai was counting down from ten. They could've sworn that a tear ran down Lance's cheek.

"Five." Kai said.

"Please..." Lance said.

"Four." Kai said.

"Don't do this, Kai." Anna said.

"Three."

"We don't need to hurt anyone else." Rapunzel said.

"Two."

"The North Mountain!" Lance exclaimed.

Kai sheathed his dagger and took his foot off of Lance. He then crouched down, proud of his victory.

"The North Mountain?" Kai asked.

"That's where Cade and Lilith are based." Lance elaborated. "They're keeping the monarchs at the North Mountain, and that's where they are."

"Is that the truth?" Kai asked.

"I swear!" Lance said. "Now, you know where they are! Can I go?"

"Frying pan." Kai said, holding his hand out in front of Rapunzel. She was reluctant to give him her frying pan, not sure if she trusted Kai with it. Then, she realized that if he was going to kill Lance, he wouldn't have used a frying pan. She handed Kai her frying pan, and he turned back towards Lance.

"Now, was that so hard?" Kai asked. Kai then quickly swung his frying pan down on. Lance's head, knocking him out immediately. He then handed Rapunzel back her frying pan.

"Kai, you weren't really going to..." Anna said.

"Of course not." Kai answered. "That's not me, Anna. I needed answers, and I needed a way for him to provide them for me. If I needed to feed from his fear, so be it. You guys didn't have to worry. I wasn't going to do anything that bad to him."

"You knew Lance was going to answer your question?" Rapunzel asked.

Kai nodded. "This coward values his life too much. I knew he would give in sooner or later. To be honest, I'm surprised he even lasted that long."

"Yeah..." Anna said looking at the ground. She couldn't forget what happened down there. All of those people, innocent or not, died without the ability to save themselves because they were knocked out. She felt responsible in a way. She helped take away their ability to escape death. It just didn't seem fair for them.

"What's wrong, Anna?" Rapunzel said, putting her hand on Anna's back.

"Those people down there..." Anna said.

"There was nothing we could've done." Kai said. "You know that."

Anna knew that very well. If she tried to help them, she would've been crushed as well. Nevertheless, she still felt horrible about it. She had to forget it, though. She couldn't let this haunt her for the rest of her life. It seemed as though Rapunzel had already forgotten it, and Kai didn't really care, meaning she could manage it as well.

"Okay, Kai." Anna said. "You're right."

"So, what's the plan?" Rapunzel asked Kai.

"The plan is I'm going to take you girls home, back to Arendelle." Kai answered.

Anna immediately forgot about the deceased Bandits and focused on what Kai had just said. "What? No!" Anna said.

"Yes!" Kai said. "We're going home. Elsa's orders."

"But we came so far!" Rapunzel said.

"You two weren't even supposed to leave in the first place!" Kai argued.

"We had to! No one would let us help." Anna said.

"Well, perhaps thats because no one wanted your help or needed your help!" Kai said.

That hit a nerve in Anna. She couldn't believe Kai, of all people, was telling her this. She didn't know Kai could be so cold, as ironic as that was. She had to come up with a counter good enough.

"What about those months you were gone?" Anna asked. "Some help you have been!"

"That was different, and don't change the subject!" Kai said.

"We're still alive!" Anna said. "If we survived this long, we can finish the job!"

"How many close calls have you had?" Kai asked. "Attacked by wolves. Captured by Bandits. Almost crushed by falling rocks!"

"We survived those!" Rapunzel said.

"The wolves, yeah, but the other two? Not without my help!" Kai said. "So forgive me if I have a hard time trusting you by yourself!"

"We made one mistake!" Anna said.

"This mistake almost costed us our lives!" Kai said.

"We're still breathing." Anna said.

"We barely made it out of there!" Kai countered.

"But-"

"What do you expect to do?" Kai asked. "Head up to the North Mountain, beat Cade and Lilith, free the monarchs, and come back as heroes?"

The girls stayed silent. Kai had just figured them out, and they couldn't deny that that was the plan they had in mind. It wasn't much of one, but it was a plan.

"Cade and Lilith are too much for you." Kai said. "They'll take you out easily." Kai refused to let the girls of anywhere near that deadly duo. If Cade could beat Kai, how could the girls be able to beat Cade? He was only looking out for their safety. If it meant making Anna and Rapunzel mad at him, then so be it.

"Who know?" Anna said. "They might not be there?"

"What are the chances of that?" Kai asked, knowing the chances of that were slim to none at all.

"Kai, if we don't do it, who will?" Rapunzel asked.

"I don't know!" Kai said, angrily. "Right now, it doesn't matter who does it. All that matters is getting you guys back to Arendelle."

"You know about the deadline!" Anna said. "Arendelle is doomed if we don't bring back those monarchs!"

"That's not your job." Kai said.

"Then whose job is it?!" Anna asked. She was losing her patience with Kai, and patience was something she was good with keeping.

"This is not something meant for a princess." Kai said

"Are you stereotyping us?" Rapunzel asked. "Are you saying just because we're princess, we can't save a kingdom."

"I didn't mean it like that." Kai said.

"Well, what did you mean by it?!" Rapunzel asked.

"I mean your place is not here. Your place isn't out in the wild among animals and bandits." Kai said. "Your place is in the safety of a castle where you don't need to fear harm."

"Kai, if we don't save these people, we _will _fear harm." Anna said. "Ander will open fire on us around this time tomorrow, and then there will be war."

"We can talk him out of it." Kai said.

"Oh yeah, because you're so good with people." Anna said.

Ouch, Kai thought. Anna just burned him, as ironic as that was. She had a point there. Kai wasn't necessarily the most sociable of individuals. He always came off a tad intimidating whenever he was around people he wasn't close with. Kai looked down at his feet, considering what Anna had just said.

"I'm sorry..." Anna said.

Kai then quickly looked back up at Anna. "We're going home, and that's final." He then grabbed Anna's wrist and started to walk away from the patch of land. Anna was reluctant to go and she was trying to get free the entire time he was pulling her through the forest. Rapunzel was following the two, not sure what to do or what to think. The three soon entered an open path in the forest where Anna finally yanked her hand away from Kai.

"Kai!" Anna yelled. "Don't make me go back!"

Kai was looking away at Anna, disappointed that things wouldn't go easily. He then turned back towards both girls.

"I made a promise to Elsa." Kai said. "I promised her that she would see her sister again, safe and in one piece. I left her alone to fulfill that promise. I don't intend to break it." It was a promise only Kai knew of, though.

"You think I don't want to go home?!" Anna asked. "I want to go home more than anything."

"Then let's go." Kai said.

"Let me finish." Anna demanded. "I want to go home, to a place I know will stand strong for the rest of eternity. But tomorrow, if no one saves those monarchs, there will be no home left. It will be reduced to rubble, all because we did nothing to prevent it. I can't go home, knowing that it's judgment day is coming. That's why we need to save those monarchs; to save home."

Kai was listening closely to all Anna had to say. He was able to see her point of view on all of this. He could hear how desperate she was in her voice. It hurt him seeing her this way. He understood how hard it must've been to betray those you loved to save them. But, Kai made a promise to Elsa. He had too much to make up for her, and this was step one in doing them.

"But-" Kai was interrupted.

"All of my life, I have been under Elsa's shadow." Anna continued. "Everyone looked down at me like I was less than her. _Queen _Elsa and _Princess _Anna. Elsa will be the one going down in the history books. What about me? What have I done? I'm just a spare, Kai. Everyone sees me that way. I haven't done anything worthy of writing down. This is my chance to do something big in my life. This is my chance to make a mark in history."

"Mine too." Rapunzel said, feeling left out.

"Her's too." Anna said. "I'm sick of being looked down upon, Kai. I don't want to be a spare anymore. So, please, give me the chance for me to make something of myself."

Anna was getting through to Kai. He could see where Anna was coming from. Elsa was all anyone ever talked about back in Arendelle. Talk of Anna was seldom. Anna was one of the closest people to Kai. He wouldn't want to take away something this important from a close friend.

"Besides," Rapunzel said, "you still owe us one."

"For what?" Kai asked.

"For saving your life." Rapunzel answered.

"I got you out of that cage." Kai said. "I'd say we're even."

"So, what's it going to be?" Anna asked Kai.

Kai took a deep breath, still considering what to do. Then, he looked at Rapunzel. "What do you get out of this?" He asked.

"They took my parents." Rapunzel answered. "They made it personal."

"When things get personal, your judgment is clouded." Kai said.

"Whatever..." Rapunzel, looking at her feet.

Kai then sighed, and started walking down the path where no footprints seemed to be visible in the snow. Kai then motioned for the girls to follow him, and they rushed behind him, confused as to what he was doing. Kai was about to make their day or ruin it, depending on how he answered their next question.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked.

Kai looked over his shoulder at Anna and smiled. "The North Mountain."

Kai just officially announced that he was going to help the girls with their quest. Now, the North Mountain was their destination. Kai knew that Lance wasn't one lie under pressure, so he believed the coward.

Kai promised Elsa to bring her sister back home safety, and he planned to do just that... after he defeated Cade. After all, Kai had a score to settle.

* * *

**The next chapter will be up on either Wednesday, July 30th or Thursday, July 31st so be one of the first to read it when it comes out!**

* * *

Author's Note: I apologize if this chapter was a little boring as it was all dialogue. But, I think the maturity of the chapter makes up for it. This was probably the most mature chapter I've ever written. We'll see more of Kristoff and Eugene soon in a future chapter. Also, this story is officially becoming one of the longest Frozen fanfictions on the site, so yay for that! Please review and comment!

I categorized this story as an adventure and fantasy fanfic. Do you think this story best fits in those categories? If not, which category do you think this would best fit under? Your answers will be most appreciated and may change the category of this fanfic.

Also, school starts again pretty soon for me. By the looks of it, I'm not going to be done with this story before it starts, meaning there will probably be less frequent posts from me. I'll probably have one chapter a week when school starts again. Sorry for the inconvenience. Ciao.

P.S.: I'm kind of upset no one got the Joker and Bane references in my previous chapter


	26. Under An Icy Roof

**Chapter XXVI: Under An Icy Roof **

* * *

Even a year and a half later, Elsa's Ice Palace was still standing on the side of the North Mountain. It was miraculous that the ice didn't melt at all. That was probably because Elsa's artificial ice was much stronger than any other ice there was. There was still damage to the staircase that led to it, though one would still be able to walk up it. Other than that, there seemed to be no damage on the outside of the palace.

There was a small stable of horses near the beginning of the stairs to the castle. About twenty horses were cramped together in the makeshift stable, not able to get out of it. They all seemed fairly obedient since none of them were causing trouble or trying to rebel against its cage and captors.

The first floor of the palace wasn't a very nice sight. All around the walls, even under the staircases that led to the second floor, were the monarchs, dignitaries, and representatives that attended the peace council; the same ones who were kidnapped. Between twenty to thirty people were held captive. All of them were gagged and chained to the icy walls, which the chains were nailed down upon. Large cracks in the ice grew around where the chains were nailed down. These cracks grew everywhere around the castle, and with a little more pressure and damage, the castle could easily collapse on itself.

The people chained have all obviously seen better days. Most of them had cuts and bruises on their face, due to being hurt in order to be subdued and restrained. Most were starving as they were barely fed anything during their time at the castle. All of them had both of their arms chained to the wall, meaning they couldn't move at all. They prayed that this nightmare would end.

The door to the palace opened, and the afternoon sun shined into the palace. The prisoners looked at the door to see the silhouette of a man. Most couldn't make out who it was as the sun was too blinding. Then, when the man walked forward, people knew exactly who it was; Cade. Most of the monarchs whimpered at the very sight of Cade, to which he smiled to. He enjoyed being feared by many.

Cade walked to the staircase on the right side of the room that led up and met the left staircase. He tried to ignore the people he passed as he didn't have enough time to care about them at the moment. He walked up the staircase which led to another pair of staircases that led up to the second floor. Cade walked up the left stairs this time.

Soon, Cade found himself in front of the doorway that led to the second room; the most elevated room in the palace. There was a large, collected snow pile in the middle of the room, much larger than Cade was. Inside, he saw the balcony door opened behind the pile of snow and a red haired woman was standing on it, looking out at the sunset. He walked to her, walking around the snow pile in order to reach her.

Cade then stood right behind her on the balcony, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. The balcony wasn't in good shape as the railing was broken because of Elsa almost pushing the Weseltown thug off of it. The woman stood at the very edge, careful not to fall off the platform.

The woman turned to see Cade standing behind her.

"Hello, darling." The woman said, putting her arms around Cade's neck.

"Lilith." Cade said, leaning his head in to kiss his love, holding her tight. They broke away after they quickly pecked each other's lips.

"That better be your dagger in your pocket." Lilith said.

"Maybe I'm just happy to see you." Cade replied.

"Where were you?" Lilith asked.

"Didn't I tell you?" Cade asked.

"You just left in the middle of the day without any warning." Lilith said, answering Cade's question. Lilith didn't like it when Cade didn't tell her things, though if she told him that, he would call her a hypocrite.

"Well, darling, if you must know, I was out checking on one of the Bandit bases." Cade answered.

"We only have two." Lilith said. "Which one?"

"Our trap." Cade answered.

"Ah." Lilith said, knowing which base he was talking about. He was talking about the base in which he gave the coordinates to. It was meant to be a trap for anyone Arendelle sends. "What's going on down there?" Lilith asked.

"Well, they've got a group of Arendelle guards captive." Cade answered.

"Any important individuals with them?" Lilith asked.

"If you're asking if Kai or Elsa was with them, they weren't. They've only captured some replaceable guards." Cade answered.

"Replaceable? Why don't we just kill them. It seems no one will miss them." Lilith said.

"Where's the fun in that?" Cade asked. "In time, they'll die. I want them to suffer before that. I want to make them feel the pain they've saves themselves from in that castle."

"You're so evil." Lilith said, smirking. "That's what I love about you."

"That's not the only reason, is it?" Cade asked, suggesting something more inappropriate.

Lilith managed a giggle. That was another thing she liked about Cade; his humor. His dark, inappropriate humor. Now that she thought about it, she was probably the only person in the world who found Cade's jokes funny. He knew what she liked to hear, so that's why he would always give her just that.

"How's our little pawn?" Lilith asked.

"He's in Arendelle right now, making sure Ander's judgment is still clouded." Cade answered.

"Let's hope he keeps it that way until the deadline is over." Lilith said.

"How did _you _know about the deadline?" Cade asked. "Only a handful of people know."

"You can't expect me to be oblivious to these things." Lilith said.

"Fair enough." Cade said, resting his case. He knew he didn't give Lilith enough credit. He also knew that he shouldn't underestimate Lilith. She was as deadly as she was beautiful. Cade considered crazy beautiful.

Cade turned his shoulder to look at the room behind him, focusing on the collected snow pile that looked like a giant white rock, then turned back to face Lilith. "So, how's our _friend _doing?" Cade asked.

Lilith knew exactly who he meant by _friend. _"He's behaving." Lilith said. "He didn't move a lot while you were gone."

"Well, that's good news. Let's just hope he'll stay obedient." Cade said. "If not, we'll have to be crueler."

Both of them knew all about being cruel. They were cruel to everyone except each other. They were even cruel towards their own Bandits who follow their lead without asking any questions. After the Bandits and Lilith arrived at the palace on horseback with the monarchs, Lilith ordered them to be chained to the walls. After that, she forced them to return to their bases on foot, keeping the horses for herself and Cade. She did that just to see them suffer. That would be an example of their cruelness.

"Things are going as planned." Cade said. "This time tomorrow, Ander's navy will open fire upon the city. By dawn of the day after, Arendelle will be nothing but rubble and corpses."

"Assuming everything goes as planned." Lilith said.

"Don't doubt the plan, my love." Cade said.

"I'm not." Lilith countered. "I'm just saying a lot can go wrong in these short hours."

"Don't think about that." Cade said. "Think about the suffering faces of the rich and wealthy as they feel the wrath of death. Think about getting the revenge we've longed for against those who looked down on us as children."

Cade's anger and hatred for the fortunate was what fueled him and was his motivation to be part of Arendelle's downfall. As children, both Cade and Lilith were very poor, barely surviving on what their families provided for them. They did not know each other, but they both suffered being looked down upon by the wealthy and pitied as well. Ever since, they've held a grudge against nobles and others who have more than enough to live on. Cade thought it was because of people like them that he lost his mother.

As teenagers, the two joined the Bandits under King Lyre where they met and fell in love. The Bandits seemed perfect for them. It was an organization based on taking from others. They always looked at it as a tax. A tax for being fortunate. The two planned on continuing to tax others.

Though they were working with Hans, they saw things differently from him. All Hans wanted was revenge and power. Arendelle's destruction was just one step in achieving his goals. Cade and Lilith on the other hand, they saw Arendelle's destruction as something else. They saw it as a symbol of what they could do. They saw it as a warning to other kingdoms out there. No one would be safe from their wrath if they achieved it.

"Cade." Lilith said. "Elsa is the one thing in our way."

"What do you mean by that?" Cade asked.

"There's so much she can do to save Arendelle." Lilith said.

"Like?" Cade asked, wanting Lilith to elaborate.

"She could convince Ander to do otherwise. She could sleep with him. She could expose. Hans. She could create a giant ice barrier around the city. She could destroy the ships. There's so much she could do." Lilith elaborated.

"Then why hasn't she done any of those things yet?" Cade asked.

"She's probably too stupid or morally righteous to do them." Lilith answered.

Cade stroked his chin. "I guess you're right."

"You guess?" Lilith asked, offended. The credit that Cade didn't give Lilith, she have herself. She knew just how smart she was. Usually, people thought she was beauty over brains. It didn't end well for those who underestimated her. Those who knew how she really was wouldn't dare underestimate her. They knew what was good for their health.

"Okay, you're right." Cade said. "Right now, she's a wild card."

"And wild cards are best played strategically-" Lilith said, waiting for Cade to finish her sentence.

"Or not played at all." Cade finished.

"Elsa is a card best not played." Lilith said with a smirk.

"Agreed." Cade said, knowing what their eventual goal will be. "Except Hans wants her alive. He wants her to suffer through the destruction of her beloved country."

"Since when did Hans start telling us what to do?" Lilith asked. "It's best she not stay alive long enough for that."

She had a good point about Hans. Cade always had to keep reminding Hans that he wasn't in charge, and if anything, Cade was in charge. Cade would never allow himself to bow down to the likes of Hans. Despite them working together, Hans was another noble who took what he had for granted, meaning Cade and Lilith both hated him. But, they had to bite their tongues on this one.

"So, what's the plan?" Cade asked Lilith.

"I'm thinking I go down there and kill her myself." Lilith suggested.

"Wouldn't it be better if-" Cade was interrupted.

"Darling," Lilith said, "this is going to be between us girls, okay."

"What about her powers?" Cade asked, not sure if Lilith would be able to take her down.

"Do you think I'm scared of a little ice?" Lilith asked. Sometimes, Cade wondered whether Lilith had more balls than he did. She was being very brave about going down there and assassinating a Queen with cryokinetic powers. But, Cade knew how good Lilith was at fighting. This would be a match Lilith would win easily.

"Be careful." Cade told Lilith.

"I will." Lilith said. "And when I get back with her head..." She leaned in closer to Cade's ear and whispered something to which he smiled to. Cade was definitely looking forward to that.

Lilith walked past Cade and entered the room. She proceeded to walk around the large, collected snow pile which looked very smooth, but Cade stopped her by calling her name. Lilith looked back at Cade, confused to why he stopped her.

"Kai is probably with her." Cade said.

"Then I'll have to kill him too." Lilith said.

"Refrain from that, please. Bring him in alive. I want to do it myself." Cade said.

Lilith smirked. "As you wish, my love."

With that, Lilith walked off with her mission; kill Elsa.

* * *

Kai, Anna, and Rapunzel walked for a countless amount of time. It seemed that they would never reach the North Mountain in time. Even from their position, they weren't able to see the mountain. Rapunzel almost doubted that thy were even going the right way, but she knew better than to doubt Kai. Kai seemed like he knew where he was going, but Anna knew that he had never visited the North Mountain before in his life. Anna couldn't exactly remember the way to the mountain herself as she didn't pay attention to the route she took. She asked herself how Kai would know the way to the mountain.

Then, Anna remembered something. Kai's mind was something that shouldn't be underestimated. Sure, he was a better fighter than he was a scholar, but he knew a lot. She remembered how he voluntarily studied the different roads and paths across the country which was probably why he knew where to go and how to get there.

They were off a path and walking through the trees as that's where the way to the North Mountain seemed to be.

Kai was leading the party with Anna in the middle and Rapunzel in the back. Kai had a fair distance ahead of the girls by about ten feet, walking at a constant speed. The girls on the other hand walked much slower than Kai did due to exhaustion. They didn't have the stamina that Kai possessed, making it harder for them to keep up.

Anna looked over her shoulder to find Rapunzel walking slower than usual, and looking at the ground. They both were hugging their own bodies because of the cold snow around them. Night was coming, and that would just make things colder. The sky was a very dark blue, transitioning from afternoon to night. The stars were already coming out, shining upon the world below.

Rapunzel collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Her feet finally gave in as their soreness was indescribable. Anna walked to her friends aid, and knelt down beside Rapunzel, putting her arm around her shoulder. Kai noticed the delay behind him, and he turned back around, walking to the girls until he towered over both of their bodies.

"Come on, we don't have any time to waste." Kai said, hoping to move on as quick as possible.

"We're tired and cold, Kai." Anna said.

"Well, I'm tire too, but you don't see me falling behind." Kai countered.

"Don't forget the fact that we're also hungry and thirsty." Rapunzel added.

"Hey, we would've been in the castle by now if you'd only just listened to me." Kai said. "Now come on, we can get to the North Mountain by tomorrow morning."

"Just... give us a minute." Anna demanded.

Kai closed his eyes and sighed. He walked over to a nearby tree and leaned on it with his back. He then crossed his arms and closed his eyes, waiting for their little rest to be over. Rapunzel looked over at Kai, not being able to see his frosty breath.

"Aren't you cold?" Rapunzel asked Kai, concerned for his health.

"No, not really." Kai answered. "It's one of the perks of having fire shoot out of your hands. I'm always warm... assuming I'm healthy."

"Well, it must be nice to be you." Rapunzel said.

Not always, Kai thought. Sure, his powers helped him throughout his entire life, but he hurt so many people using them. He always thought of it as both a gift and a curse. Even after he learned how to perfectly control it, it was still a curse sometimes. As a child, he wanted nothing more than to lose his powers. But, Deren found joy with Kai's powers, and so that's why he liked them, up until he accidentally scarred Deren.

"Can you stand?" Anna asked Rapunzel. Rapunzel nodded and prepared to stand up. Anna had both her hands on Rapunzel for support.

"I'll be fine." Rapunzel told Anna. Anna took her hands off of her friend to let her support herself. When Kai realized that their rest was over, he stopped leaning on the tree and walked to the girls. He stood a foot in front of them and raised his right hand in the air. He created a fireball in his spread hand.

"It's getting dark." Kai said. "Let's go."

Kai, once again, led the girls down the path. This time, he tried his best to stay close to them as they walked in order to keep them warm with his fire. They continued to walk in silence for about a mile as night came. Things were harder to see as they were only able to see things that the fire glowed on.

As they continued walking, Kai saw a silhouette above the trees in the distance. This silhouette was darker than the the night itself so that's why it was visible in Kai's eyes. He knew what he was looking at was very large, but it only seemed small because it was far away. Very far away. Kai tapped on Anna's shoulder and pointed at the silhouette.

"Is that...?" Anna asked.

"The North Mountain? Yes." Kai said.

"It looks so close." Rapunzel said.

"Trust me, it's very far away. We can only see it now because of how big it actually is." Kai said.

"Oh." Rapunzel said. That was news that she wasn't very happy to hear. She couldn't imagine forcing herself to wall all the way over there. Kai said they would get there by tomorrow morning, so she did the math at how many hours it would take to get there. She almost cried at how far they would need to walk. But, she needed to endure through this. Her parents would want her to endure.

The trio continued walking toward the mountain in the silent night. Rapunzel knew that her friends must've been just as tired as she was. They have been walking the same distance after all. Even though Kai didn't show it, she knew he was exhausted. Any human would be in this situation. Even if it was a human who could produce fire from their hands.

Rapunzel didn't like the silence or the tension between each other. Naturally, she was going to stop the silence.

"So, do you guys want to talk about anything?" Rapunzel asked.

"Like what?" Anna asked.

"I don't know? Your dreams maybe?" Rapunzel suggested.

"I won't waste my time talking about dreams. They're just goals that most can't achieve." Kai said.

"Oh come on, Kai. Don't be so depressing about it." Rapunzel said. "Surely you have a dream."

"Once." Kai replied.

"There you go." Rapunzel said. "What was it?"

"I dreamed that I would see my parents again." Kai answered.

"How is that working out?" Rapunzel asked, curiously.

"They're dead." Kai answered.

"Oh..." Rapunzel said. Now, she felt bad. She didn't mean to bring back bad memories for Kai. "I'm sorry I asked."

"It's okay." Kai said. "It wasn't your fault."

Rapunzel was glad that Kai was kind enough to drop it quickly. She then looked over at Anna walking beside her. "What's your dream, Anna?"

"Well, as a kid I dreamed about being best friends with Elsa again. Then, as I grew up, I dreamed about finding true love. After that, I dreamed about a perfect wedding. After that, I-"

"What's your current dream?" Kai asked, honestly tired of Anna listing past dreams.

"Oh." Anna said. "Well, will saving Arendelle suffice as a dream?"

"It does." Rapunzel said. "But, what will it be after we do save Arendelle and my parents?"

"Assuming we achieve that." Kai added. Rapunzel gave Kai a look that told him he shouldn't say things as negative as that. Whether Kai would listen or not was up to him.

Anna's heart did a jump. She actually couldn't wait to tell them it. "I hope that me and Kristoff have a beautiful baby."

Kai managed a chuckle. "Do you seriously think Kristoff will be a good father?" Kai asked. "I mean, his only experience with a baby was with a baby reindeer."

"It's not like Kristoff will be the only one raising him or her, Kai." Anna said, acknowledging Kai's point.

"Have you even talked to Kristoff about having a baby?" Rapunzel asked Anna.

Anna smiled and opened her mouth wide as if she was going to say yes. Then, she closed her mouth and looked down at her feet. "No." Anna answered.

"Good luck." Kai said. "But, I'm sure the others will be happy about a baby." Personally, though Kai didn't show his excitement, a baby would be a nice change of scenery, even if it wasn't his. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if the baby would like him since he wasn't always very nice.

"Kai, how do you feel about a kid of your own?" Anna asked. "With Elsa, I mean."

"Slow down there, Anna." Kai said, walking backwards facing the girls. "I think Elsa and I are far away from that point. We aren't even married yet."

"Yeah, it would be a shame if you lost your ring finger before that." Rapunzel joked.

"Let's not jinx things." Kai said. "Anna, to answer your question, I really don't know. See, I'm not the kind of guy who settles down easily. There always seems to be someone trying to kill me. The last thing I want is for those people to go after people I love."

Kai turned back around and continued to walk forward. That indicated that their conversation was over. Both Anna and Rapunzel both felt bad for Kai, knowing that a life with him wouldn't be a safe life. They thought he had cut all ties with his past life and tried to start anew, but he still thought there were those out to hurt him. They couldn't imagine going to sleep with that on one's conscious.

They continued to walk in awkward silence for a while. Then, they noticed something peculiar in the sky. Something that looked thick was in the air around some trees about one hundred meters diagonal to them. The closer they got, the more clear it became.

"Smoke." Kai said.

"That means there might be someone who's willing to help us." Rapunzel said.

"Maybe." Kai replied.

"It might fix our food situation." Anna said.

"We'll have to find out." Kai said. Kai motioned for the girls to follow him. They walked towards the smoke and around the trees that surrounded them. As they walked, they noticed footprints in the snow that were heading in the same direction as them. The footprints were coming from many different directions, but it was obvious they were all heading to the same place.

They soon found themselves in another open clearing, smaller than the clearing that contained Oaken's store. In the middle of the clearing was a building with loud sounds coming from inside of it as if people were socializing.

"I've seen a place like this before." Rapunzel said. "It reminds me of the Snuggly Duckling."

"What's that?" Anna asked.

"It's a pub back in Corona." Rapunzel answered.

"What business do you have in a pub?" Anna asked.

"It's a long story." Rapunzel answered.

Anna shrugged it off and turned towards Kai who was staring intently at the building. She didn't know exactly what he was thinking so, naturally, she needed to ask something to have a sense of where his mind was at.

"What is this place?" Anna asked.

"Don't expect me to know right off the top of my head." Kai said. "But, there's only one way to find out." He then raised his face mask over his mouth and nose, ready for anything.

* * *

Author's Note: I've decided, for the time being, I won't have scheduled releases for my chapters anymore. I finished this chapter before it was actually released, so I wasted a day just waiting to release it on the day I promised. Because it wastes time, and because. I want to get out as many chapters I can before school starts again, I won't have scheduled releases for future chapters... for now.

Also, the plot for my next project is finished being thought out. Details of that will be released as this story progresses. Also, that project will probably be my last project until summer of 2015, assuming I finish it before summer of 2015. Probably though. There's still a chance that it might not, depending on how much free time is available for me.

Also, I apologize if this chapter wasn't that exciting. I needed to squeeze in a chapter focusing on the villains and their plans. Write a review/comment as always. Ciao.


	27. Pain

**Chapter XXVII: Pain **

* * *

Kai stood in front of the small building, ready for anything such as danger or help. He didn't know what to expect once he opened the door, nor did he know who to expect. All he knew was that there were people in the building. Lots of people using the amount of voices inside as evidence. From the outside, he couldn't make out what they were saying, so he couldn't necessarily judge if the people inside were hostile or not. By the average size of the many footprints that led into the building, it was safe to say that the majority or all of the people inside were men. The voices inside did sound masculine to Kai, so that confirmed the genders of them.

Anna and Rapunzel both stood behind Kai, all three were focusing on the wooden door that led into the building. Rapunzel suspected that the place was a pub! comparing it to the Snuggly Duckling she had visited so long ago. Kai leaned in closer to the door and pressed his right ear against it to see if he could hear anything else. The sounds of glass tapping and wood creaking came into Kai's ears. A pub is a common place for those sounds.

"What do you hear?" Anna asked.

"I think Rapunzel was right." Kai said. "This sounds and looks like a pub."

"How can we be sure?" Anna asked. "Can we look through those windows?" Anna pointed to the stained glass windows that lined the outside of the building, to the right of the door. The door was located on the far left side of the front of the building, and the windows were all over the right side of it.

"Those are stained glass windows, Anna." Kai said.

"Yeah, no way we can see through those colors." Rapunzel finished.

There was only one option for them left. They had to go in and see for themselves. Hopefully, whoever was inside would be willing to help them. Kai doubted it though. If this _was _a pub, Kai doubted that there would be helpful people in there. He knew the type of people who hung out at pubs. Mostly thugs and criminals or the occasional drinker who is trying to get away from his or her problems. Now that he thought about it, he knew too much about pub people.

Kai put his hand on the wooden door handle. He then turned his head to look back at the girls. "Be ready for anything." Kai told them. Anna nodded, and Rapunzel took out her frying pan, hoping she wouldn't have to use it.

Kai pulled the door to the building, and silence immediately followed. Not a sound came from the inside as he opened the door. Kai looked in to see if he could verify his suspicions. It was indeed a pub. There was a long counter a few feet in front of the opposite end of the room where Kai was. It started from the left side of the pub to about three-fourths to the right side. A large shelf filled with dozens of beverages was on the opposite end of the wall as well. A muscular man stood behind the counter and in front of the shelf of drinks. Kai assumed that he was the bartender.

Kai scanned the room to find many round tables scattered around. About there was about seven tables in all, which had four chairs around it. About four chairs were in front of the counter, two of which were occupied. The occupied chairs were the ones on the far left and right. Every single chair around the round tables were occupied by someone. Including the bartender, the two in front of the counter, and a man leaning on a wall, there was about thirty nine people in all in the pub. All thirty nine of them were looking at Kai and the girls, silently.

Lanterns hung from the walls, providing light to the place.

Kai stepped into the building, and the girls did too, reluctantly entering it. They knew this was no place for a princess. But, for Kai, he fit in well actually.

Even as they walked in, there was still an awkward silence among everyone. The men in the pub with drinks in their hands were all focusing on Kai and the girls. That made them uncomfortable.

"Carry on." Kai said, behind his face mask.

Though most would rather watch Kai's every move, chatter broke out among the men once again. They seemed to have stopped focusing on Kai and back to their recreational activities; telling each other manly gossip, and drinking until they couldn't see right. There was still some who were watching the tree. The bartender was still focusing on his new guests and so was the man leaning against the wall. As Kai walked towards the bartender, the man leaning against the wall walked over to one of the tables occupying four people. The girls saw him whisper something to them, and they could've swore he was talking about them.

Kai took a seat next to the man on the far left seat in front of the counter, looking at the bartender. The girls both stood behind Kai, not wanting to take a seat. Kai slouched his back as he sat and put his hands on the counter in order to fit in more. The bartender then stood in front of him behind the counter. Looking closer at the bartender, they were able to see that his left eye was milky white, indicating half blindness.

"I haven't seen your faces here before." The bartender said.

"We're just passing by." Kai said. "I was wondering if you could help us out."

"You're "just passing by" in the middle of nowhere?" The bartender asked.

"In that case, what are these people doing in the middle of nowhere?" Kai asked.

"These men aren't confined to one place for things like a job. They like to spend their time here." The bartender answered. "You three look like you have your own duties. People like that don't fit in here."

"Is there a problem, sir?" Kai asked.

"There a dangerous folk out here." The bartender said. "I was just wondering what your business was."

"Stick to serving drinks." Kai said. "Our business is our own."

Then, the bartender looked over at Anna and Rapunzel who were still standing behind Kai in an elegant manner. They obviously didn't know how to act like the people around them. They feared that if they did try to act that way, it would end comically. They didn't know how these men felt about comical.

"Are these broads with you?" The bartender asked to which Kai nodded. "Men here would wonder how much they're worth."

"Excuse me?" Both Anna and Rapunzel said at the same time, hoping that the bartender wasn't implying what they thought he was implying. Unfortunately, he was implying it. Before any one of the girls could speak up, Kai turned around to face the girls. He put his left hand on Anna's right shoulder and put his right hand on Rapunzel's left shoulder.

"Save it." Kai told the girls. He then took his hands off of them and turned back to the bartender. That told them one thing; let Kai do the talking. He seemed to know what to do in this situation, and he wouldn't want them ruining things for him and making things far more difficult than it needed to be.

"She looks familiar." The bartender said, pointing at Anna. Kai, too, turned towards Anna. She gave him a look that told Kai to tell the bartender something, but Kai just kept his gaze. This told her that she should make her own lie. She couldn't rely on Kai to talk to her all the time, and this was her chance to prove she didn't need him. He knew well he was giving her that chance.

"Um..." Anna said. "You must be mistaken."

"I'm not mistaken a lot." The bartender said.

"Well, I've been told I have common features that many other women have." Anna continued.

"Oh, like eyes bigger than your wrists?" The bartender said.

"We've not passed through this area before." Kai interrupted. "You've probably never seen her before." He didn't want to go back and forth with the bartender. It was wasting time, and it could potentially blow their cover.

"Let's just get to the point." The bartender said. "What do you want?"

Good, Kai thought. "We're looking for food." Kai said.

"We only sell drinks here, sir." The bartender said. "Want a place that sells food? Go to Arendelle."

The girls were disappointed. They had hoped and prayed for a bite to eat for hours. Now, they had to go on without fuel for the rest of the journey, assuming there wasn't another pub around. There was an off chance that there could be another building that provided food since they still had a lot of ground to cover before they reached the North Mountain. But, they highly doubted it.

"I can offer you drinks." The bartender said. "If you're just going to loiter, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

They needed a short rest, even a rest in a place like this would suffice, though it wasn't ideal. Kai knew how exhausted they were from walking, so he knew how much this rest was worth. Also, he wouldn't mind a drink.

"Give me a scotch whiskey." Kai said.

"And for the girls?" The bartender asked.

Kai turned his head back at the girls and then refocused himself back on the bartender. By the looks on their faces, he decided the thing they needed most.

"Two cups of water for the girls." Kai said.

Anna put her hand on Kai's shoulder. "I appreciate you being a gentleman and all, but I think we can order for ourselves." Anna said. Anna then sat on the chair to Kai's right, and the bartender looked over at her.

"What do you want?" The bartender asked.

"Um... Two cups of water, please." Anna said.

The bartender took out two metal cups from under his counter. He then took out a glass bottle filled with water and popped it open. After he filled both cups with water, he put the bottle down and handed the cups to Anna. She then stood up from her chair, turned around to face Rapunzel, and gave her one of the cups. Rapunzel studied the cup and water carefully, making sure that the water wasn't tampered with in any way. After finding out that it was clear, the girls cheered their cups, and drank the water quickly since they were parched.

While the bartender was readying Kai's whiskey, he looked to the man on his left. The man had two empty glasses in front of him, and was holding the handle of a knife whose blade was stuck on the wooden counter. Kai didn't want to be near that guy much longer as he didn't know if the man was hostile or not.

Then, the bartender snapped his fingers in front of Kai's face. Kai looked at the bartender who pointed at the glass of golden liquid that was filled half way in front of him. Kai's whiskey was ready for him to drink. Kai pulled down his face mask which he realized was still on him. He grabbed the glass with his right hand and brought it to his lips. As he drank the whiskey, and he drank it quickly since he wanted to get out of the pub as soon as possible, he slammed his left hand on the counter with his fingers spread from each other because of how strong the beverage was.

Anna and Rapunzel didn't know how Kai was able to drink something that strong so quickly. Alcohol wasn't their preferred drink, and they could never bring themselves to do something like that that fast.

Kai had to admit that the whiskey tasted a little different than most whiskey he drank. But, he hadn't had a drink in a long time so he just shrugged it off and told himself that he wasn't used to it anymore.

Once again, Kai scanned the room. He was just about ready to leave, but something strange was going on in the pub. The amount of chatter and talk died down immensely, and those who were still talking kept their voices low. He noticed that a few people in the room were eyeballing the girls and him, with dirty looks on their faces. Kai also couldn't help notice that those men had weapons strapped to their backs. The girls were too busy focusing on Kai's interaction with the bartender to notice the men looking at them.

The men also knew that Kai was aware of their presence. Three of them stood up from their chairs and slowly walked around the pub, making their way towards Kai and the girls. He also couldn't help but notice that the man who was leaning on the wall joined the three men walking in a subtle manner. Something was about to go down, and Kai was sure of it.

Still looking at them, Kai used his right hand to slowly reach for his dagger that was strapped to the right side of his waist. His left hand was still on the table so his actions would look less suspicious. The girls noticed who Kai was looking at, and they got the same feeling Kai was having. This isn't good, Rapunzel thought. Anna was somewhat disappointed that something bad was going to happen. She just wished that no one would try to kill them on their adventure for once. She readied herself for the worst.

Then, in a split second, the man who was sitting to the left of Kai took out his knife that was stuck on the table and stabbed the middle of Kai's left hand with it, going through his palm and sticking to the table. Blood immediately guahed out of his started to gush out of his wound. Pain filled Kai's hand immediately after. Kai gave a loud yell in agony as he looked at his hand. The scream was so loud, it could easily be heard two miles away. Though he had experienced worst pain, this was definitely the second to worst in his life. A small pool of Kai's blood grew below his palm onto the wooden counter.

The girls looked over at what was wrong with Kai and gasped when they saw his hand.

"AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!" Kai yelled, still in agony. The pain was all Kai could feel. He couldn't focus on anything else. The only thing that bounced around in his mind was the blade that had just stabbed his hand. The pool of blood soon started to run over the counter, dripping on the wooden floor.

From behind, a large man grabbed Anna and held her hands behind her back. The same thing happened to Rapunzel but with a different man. Anna was too paralyzed by Kai's pain that she didn't think about fighting back, though any attempts to escape the grasp of the man would've been pointless as his grip was incredibly strong. Rapunzel was more feisty. She tried to shake away from her adversary's grasp, but he wasn't willing to let her go.

The bartender was smiling as he looked at Kai who was still in agony. The sight of Kai trying to take the knife out of his hand made him happy. Kai was too weak to take the knife away as the pain overcame his strength. The flow of the blood coming out of Kai's hand was still there but it wasn't as intense as it was seconds before.

"Does it hurt?" The bartender asked, sarcastically. Kai did not answer because of the pain.

Then, the bartender took his own knife from under the counter and quickly stabbed Kai's ring finger, about half an inch above his knuckle. Kai let out another agonizing scream, much louder than his previous scream. Many of the people in the pub covered their ears when they heard this. More blood was coming out from Kai's ring finger, adding to the pool of blood that was already there by a little bit. A single tear came out of Kai's eye. He couldn't believe pain made him cry.

"Kai!" Anna yelled.

"Oh no!" Rapunzel said.

The bartender then shook his blade around and took it out of the wooden counter. The two then saw how Kai's ring finger was severed from his left hand about half an inch above his knuckle. Kai gas able to see the bone of his severed finger and blood was still slowly coming out. Anna gasped as she saw what was happening to Kai. It hurt her too see him in pain like this. She closed her eyes to save herself from the image. Rapunzel couldn't believe that a tough guy such as Kai could be hurt like this.

The man who was sitting next to Kai saw the whole thing. He grabbed a hold of the knife that was sticking out of the back of Kai's hand and took it out. He then stood up and walked behind the men who were restraining the girls. For some reason, when the blade was yanked out of Kai's hand, it hurt just as much as it did when he was stabbed. Kai couldn't do anything because of the pain that was still being inflicted upon him. His hand was free to move, but it still felt horrible.

Kai raised his hand in front of his face to see the damage while he was still still simpering in agony. Blood was flowing down from his hand and onto his clothes. He looked at where his ring finger used to be and saw the bone of it. He could've fainted from this sight.

At this point, many of the people who were in the pub had already left before any of this went down. The man who was leaning on the wall had informed everyone of his plans and told them to leave if they wanted no part of it. Most did, leaving only ten to fifteen hostile individuals in the pub. Kai was in too much pain to realize that many had left.

The bartender leaned over the counter and pushed Kai off his stool. Kai fell to the floor in front of Anna and Rapunzel who were still being held back. Falling down to the floor seemed like a papercut compared to having a finger severed. The bartender then looked at Kai's ring finger in the small blood puddle, and picked it up.

"Aww." The bartender said. "Now where will we put your wedding ring?" He then threw the finger across the room.

Kai was still on the floor, paralyzed from the pain and horror of losing his finger. Now, he could no longer count to ten using his fingers. He couldn't form any words with his mouth since the sound of him in pain would be the only thing that would come out. His hand stung like crazy, blood slowly coming out of it. It was safe to say he had already lost about a pint of blood in all.

The man who was leaning against the wall walked up next to the bartender behind the counter. He then looked over at both Anna and Rapunzel.

"Don't think we're stupid." The man said. "We know a princess when we see one. Two princesses is even better."

"Do you work for Cade too?" Rapunzel asked, angrily.

"No." The bartender answered. "But, we know he'll give us a good price for you two."

"If you don't work for Cade, then who are you?" Rapunzel asked.

"Don't you think it's a little odd for a pub to be this far out away from cities?" The man next to the bartender asked. "This place is a trap for unsuspecting people such as yourselves. After we trap them, we sell them to the highest bidder."

"As what?" Anna asked.

"I don't need to answer that." The man replied. "Anyway, we know Cade is willing to give us a grand amount for you two broads."

"Then what about him?" Anna asked, looking down at Kai.

"Don't worry about him." The bartender said. "He'll be taken care of." Kai didn't like the sound of that. He still couldn't do anything about it.

"Wait, how do you know about Cade?" Rapunzel asked.

"Don't worry about it." The bartender said.

Rapunzel put it together in her head. The North Mountain was close to them. Cade probably passed by this pub many times where he told them of his deals. But, she doubted Cade would actually give them payment for anything. Cade didn't seem to have much to offer.

"Before we give you to Cade and that crazy broad, Lilith..." The bartender said. He then looked over at the remaining people in the pub who were drinking and socializing as if nothing bad was happening around them. "Two hundred and fifty pounds for a piece of princess!" He announced. The men in the pub cheered and raised their mugs in the air, knowing what the bartender meant by "piece".

"Going in here was a bad idea." Anna told herself.

"I'll say." The bartender agreed.

Luckily, Rapunzel freed herself from the grasp of her captor. She then ran up in front of the stool where the man who used to sit next to Kai was sitting. He turned around facing her adversaries, with an injured Kai on the floor next to her. She was cornered and had no where else to go.

"Please let us go." Rapunzel said. "My dream is to save my parents, and I can't save them if you're going to just kidnap us. Where's your humanity? Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

Silence followed that. The men gave her an unamused look. She wasn't appealing to their good side at all it seemed.

A weak Kai who was groaning silently on the ground managed a sentence. "I don't think thats going to work..." He said, weakly and quietly.

"Well then..." Rapunzel said. She then reached into her satchel and pulled out her frying pan.

"Time for plan B."

* * *

Author's Note: Kai only has nine fingers now... ouch. This chapter was to have more action included, but I realized then that it would be way too long, so I decided to just cut it out until the next chapter. Get it? Cut it out... because Kai's finger was cut off. Cut. Yeah, you get it. Hey, don't start pointing fingers at people who make bad jokes. Get it? Fingers... because Kai lost a finger.

Anyway, here's a question for you guys. In your opinion, who do you think the main protagonist(s) in the story is/are? I tried to not have a main character in this story, unlike my last story where Kai got most of the spotlight. In this story, I tried to make everyone have an equally important role. Despite that, who do you think has the most important role, therefore, the main protagonist in your opinion.

Hm... Turning to ice, getting shot in the shoulder, falling down while climbing a ship's mast, being cut numerous times, getting your hand stabbed, and having finger cut off... Man, it must suck to be Kai.

As always, please review/comment! Feedback is really appreciated. Also, I'm trying to reach over one hundred reviews before the story is over. Actually, once I reach 100 reviews, I will reveal details for my next project on an author's note. Let's reach that goal! Ciao.


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